


Endlessly

by Froglady15



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-03
Updated: 2013-11-18
Packaged: 2017-12-31 08:27:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 384,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1029508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Froglady15/pseuds/Froglady15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*COMPLETE* An A/U Fic about our favorite couple. Earth is destroyed and Bulma is sold as a slave and is trying to find a way out of her current predicament in hopes of finding her father who was taken by the Icejin. Vegeta meets her one evening and is intrigued by both her technological genius and beauty acquires her for himself to help their cause against the Icejin under the pretence of her being just his slave. However, his father immediately suspects that she is much more to his son than just that. A plot to separate them is soon in full effect. He's the prince of a powerful race expected to take an "appropriate" Saiyan mate; she's a seemingly weak slave in everyone else's eyes. They aren't supposed to be together but can they find a way to make it work despite the universe seemingly working against them? Read and find out. Lots of drama, twists and turns to follow!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**_ENDLESSLY_ **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.**

**_ENJOY!_ **

**_CHAPTER 1_ **

Bulma sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror; she reapplied some more make up to her already flawless complexion.

It had been four weeks since this nightmare had begun and her planet was attacked and destroyed. She was taken and was "fortunate" enough to be shipped off to an auction and then sent to a vacation planet where all she had to do was look beautiful and dance. Thank god her mother pushed her into dancing when she was younger or she would have been screwed and made to work in a less desirable section doing who knows what.

Bulma smiled as she gave herself another once over in the huge mirror; she was up soon. Because she was so unique looking, she had talked them into letting her make her own routines. She thankfully still had her ipod on her and found a way to hook it up into their system. She  _was_ a genius after all! Then every night, she'd pick a different song to dance and lip synch to. So far, she was a huge hit at the club.

Everyone loved her.

Well, the patrons did. The other women at the club didn't care for her much. After two nights she had become the new "favorite" attraction. None of the other women sang. They just danced. It reminded Bulma of belly dancing on Earth. She appreciated it, but was thankful that she could do something different and unique that no one else did. She tried to stick with more of a sexy hip hop vibe. So far it was working out very well to her advantage.

Most of the patrons at this place were soldiers. Some were emperors. Others just came to enjoy a drink and watch beautiful women all night. This planet reminded her of Vegas. Women, boos, gambling, and all sorts of shenagains she didn't even want to think up. She was just glad she was able to find herself in an area where she wouldn't have to do anything too degrading. All she had to do was dance on a stage and leave. The manager, Toma, liked her. He had initially told her that she would have to start out on the stage to gain exposure since she was new and no one knew her. Then after a few weeks she'd be moved on to going to private rooms with some of the patrons who wished a more private audience with her. The thought made her sick to her stomach. But since she had become such an instant success, Toma had told her that she didn't have to move on to that if she didn't want to. So, she took advantage of that and decided to make the most of this opportunity. Stay in Toma's good graces, make the patrons happy and maybe she could find a way off this place. At this point, she figured out her best bet would be to save up any cash she got from the patrons and buy her way out.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta rolled his eyes and followed his men into a popular tavern. He hated these places but he had promised his men a night out of debauchery if they got their most recent purging mission done in less time than they needed. He wanted to get back home to his planet and train; not waste his time on useless purging missions that were of no challenge to him. He really didn't know why his father insisted on sending him out. Sure, purging was fun but he had goals to reach and he couldn't reach them if he was out constantly on useless missions.

He followed Nappa and Raditz in. They had told him that this place was the best of the best, that they had only the most beautiful and exotic women the universe had to offer. He really couldn't care less. Women were women as far as he was concerned and he didn't have time for any of them- especially women who were only interested in him for his money. But since he owed them a night on him, he might as well see what the fuss was about and have a few drinks. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could head back home to train. Kakarott was only concerned if they served food at this establishment. Vegeta rolled his eyes again. Why was he always surrounded by idiots?

The atmosphere was dark. A scantily clad hostess greeted them, "Hello, gentlemen. Seating for four?" She was tall with yellowish scaly skin that gave her an iridescent aura and long light pink hair.

"Four seats in the VIP," Raditz replied, gesturing to Vegeta. "This is Prince Vegeta of Vegeta-sei."

"Oh! I'm so sorry your highness! Of course! Right this way!" She said, wide eyed and worried.

"No need to bother yourself over it. I have never been here and never plan to return.” Vegeta growled, glaring at Raditz as they followed the hostess to the VIP area.

"What?!" Raditz shrugged. "I want the best seats in the house!"

Nappa laughed, "Don't worry, Vegeta. It'll be well worth it!"

"Do they serve food in the VIP area?" Kakarott asked.

"Of course they do, you idiot!" all three Saiyans said, glaring at Kakarott. The younger Saiyan had a one track mind.

"What?! I'm hungry!" Kakarott complained, rubbing his stomach.

"Well, we didn't come here for the food, but there's plenty of it even for you." Raditz said, sitting down in a booth.

"Can I get you guys anything to drink?" The hostess asked.

The four Saiyans each ordered a drink. Kakarott asked for a food menu. "And keep 'em coming!" Nappa said after the hostess, leaning back in the booth.

Vegeta sat there, with his arms crossed. It was going to be a very long night. He only hoped it would go by quickly.

Not long after, the hostess returned with their drinks and a food menu for Kakarott. "The first round is on the house, your Highness. Please make yourselves comfortable and let me know if there's anything I can get for you." She said, bowing and walking away.

"See? I told you this was the place to be!" Raditz laughed and pointed to the girl on stage; she was tall, had light blue skin with darker blue stripes like a tiger. She had long purple hair and large round pink eyes. She danced slowly and sensually to the music that played. "Now how 'bout that?" Nappa nodded in approval taking in her appearance while Vegeta still sat with his arms crossed.

-0-0-0-

Just as Bulma was getting ready to head back stage, Toma pulled her to the side.

"Before you go up, you must know," He said looking at her attire and make up.

"What's up?" Bulma asked.

"We have a special guest here tonight. His name is Prince Vegeta. He is one of the most powerful warriors in the universe after his father, King Vegeta of the Planet Vegeta-sei. He's brought some of his men here tonight so please, put on a better than usual show." He said, practically pleading with her.

Bulma rolled her eyes. She hated these patrons who thought they were better than everyone else. "And when do I ever _not_ give a spectacular performance?" She asked, a tad annoyed that Toma had suggested otherwise.

"Well, true. But from what little I do know of the Prince, I hear he can be very temperamental."

"Aren't they all?" Bulma asked with a heavy sigh, adjusting her outfit a bit more. "Don't worry! I've got it covered!" She winked and headed down the hall. _Just wait. I'll give them a show they'll never forget!_ Bulma thought to herself with a smirk.

Toma exhaled in relief. She was his best. Hopefully good enough to keep the Prince and the other Saiyans entertained.

Bulma headed up the stairs and plugged in her ipod. She selected the song "Bottle Pop" by the Pussycat Dolls and headed up the stage as Toma nervously approached the four Saiyans in the VIP lounge. He'd heard of their reputation. He just really didn't want his club destroyed. "I hope everything is to your approval for you and your companions, your Highness." Toma said cautiously.

"Everything is satisfactory." Vegeta said, not looking at Toma.

"Oh good!" Toma laughed nervously. "If there's anything I can get you to make things even better, let me know! Nothing is off limits."

"Keep our drinks coming!" Nappa and Raditz said simutaneously, pushing away their empty glasses.

"And can I have more of whatever that was?" Kakarott asked, with a mouth full of a fourth bowl of a noodle dish he was devouring.

"Yes! Of course! Right away!" Toma stuttered and ran off to get more food and drinks. As he left, the lights dimmed and the music started and Bulma walked on stage and started to dance and lip synch to the song.

"You idiot! Why must you talk with your mouth full like an imbecile?" Vegeta asked, glaring at Kakarott, who shrugged and continued to inhale his food. Vegeta just shook his head. He couldn't wait to get out of there. He was bored and started to watch the blue-haired girl on the stage.

-0-0-0-

Bulma looked out to the audience. There wasn't much of a crowd out tonight, which she didn't mind. Though it did mean less cash tips for her. She continued to do her dance routine. She swayed and moved. She looked out some more trying to find this so-called "Prince" that was present. She looked to the end of the room in the slightly upper level that was the designated "VIP" area, assuming he would be in there.

All she saw were three over-sized men sitting with a smaller man. One was huge and bald. The other one was almost as large but had long thick hair down to his knees from what she could tell. Both were watching her intently. The third was also large in stature and his hair was short, but sticking out in every which way, but he was shoveling back food as fast as he could, so she assumed he wasn't the Prince. No "prince" in her opinion would have such terrible manners! And the fourth man was considerably smaller than the other three. He seemed really indifferent and reserved from the other three. He had what seemed to be gravity-defying hair that stood straight up in a black flame. Although smaller, he was just as intimidating as the other three.

So which one was the Prince that she was supposed to impress? None of them looked particularly "prince-like" in her opinion. They all looked scary! Although what was "prince-like" anyway? Especially half way across the galaxy from her home? Ha! Even her own boyfriend, Yamcha was far from "prince-like" when it came down to it. It was time to give it up. She knew that, especially given her recent predicament. As much as she wished it, there wouldn't be any Prince saving her!

She looked back to the table of four, wiping out her current train of thought. She had a job to do! She looked individually at the four men. She decided to ignore the one that was eating. Surely he wasn't the Prince. She looked at the other two. It could be either one. Then she looked at the smaller one. Maybe.. He sure was handsome. He made direct eye contact with her and she nearly froze.

His eyes were so smoldering. Something about his eyes captivated her. She couldn't look away. So she continued to dance as well as she knew how.

For a few minutes she held his gaze without looking away. She felt self conscious and insecure yet completely confident and gorgeous at the same time. His gaze never wavered. It was like he was looking right through her. He was so intense!

-0-0-0-

As Vegeta watched the girl on the stage dance, he noted that she was quite stunning. A far cry more attractive than any of the other women he'd seen throughout the course of the evening. She was very pale skinned, almost ivory and had the most unusual colored hair. It was an aquamarine blue that looked and shimmered like silk, long, past her shoulders. Her eyes were huge and almost the exact same shade of blue as her hair. _What unusual eyes and hair._ He thought to himself. She was very petite and delicate in stature, unlike many of the other women he'd seen and met on this side of the universe. _I wonder where they found her?_ He briefly wondered, taking in her unique features. She had long legs and a beautifully toned body. She moved slowly and sensually to the music. She was seductive yet still classy with the subtle way she swayed her hips. The other women he saw dance before her were beautiful, but harsh in their movements. Not at all feminine the way this girl was moving. As she danced, she looked ahead and made direct eye contact with him.

Vegeta held his breath briefly. Her eyes seemed an even more piercing blue than he initially thought. She held his gaze for a few more minutes, swaying and moving along to the music as if she were dancing only for him.

Raditz smirked and nudged Nappa and pointed at their Prince, who seemed mesmerized by the aqua haired beauty on the stage. Nappa grinned. "See something you like?" he asked, nudging Vegeta with his shoulder, startling him out of his daze.

Vegeta turned away immediately and scowled. "No. She's just a little more unique than some of the other ones." He huffed, crossing his arms and looking away from the stage where the girl was still dancing. Raditz and Nappa laughed and didn't comment any further.

It was then that Toma reappeared and served them their drinks and Kakarott another bowl of noodles. "Is there anything else I can do to make your evening even better?" he asked.

"Everything is fine. That will be all." Vegeta snapped, looking away from the stage again, still in a huff.

"Actually there is," Raditz said as he stood up and put his arm around Toma's shoulder and lead him away from their booth. "So, are we able to choose which girls we'd like a more intimate encounter with?"

"Umm. Yes! Yes, of course! Almost all of the girls here are available. The choice is yours." Toma stuttered.

"Good!" Raditz said, patting Toma on the back. "Our Prince is interested in that Blue-Haired Beauty on stage right there." He said pointing to aqua marine dancer.

"Ohh.. Yes. Her. Umm.. Well, she is a favorite. But I'm afraid in the end, un-unavailable." Toma stuttered again, getting very nervous. "But his highness can choose from a choice of any of the other girls here that might be pleasing to him. They are all beautiful, highly skilled and talented." He added quickly.

"No," Raditz said, shaking his head. "That one. We won't take no for an answer. Name your price."

"But but.. But.." Toma started.

"I'll pay you double your asking price on the highest priced girl here." Raditz interrupted.

"But sir, she's not for hire. She's for the stage only." Toma replied, having the feeling this evening wasn't going to go down as easily as he had planned and yet kicking himself for turning down that much money.

"You mean to say you'd deny your Prince the one request he's had all evening?" Raditz asked, feigning annoyance. He knew if he pushed his weight around just enough, he'd be able to get his way.

"No! No! I dont mean that. I don't mean to offend!" Toma stuttered yet again. He was really starting to sweat bricks now. "I only mean that she's inexperienced. Other than the stage, she's never been allowed a private audience. With anyone." He explained.

"Well, my Prince is willing to overlook that for such a rare beauty as hers. Make it happen. I don't care what the price is, or what your reasons are, but do it." Raditz growled, pulling Toma in closer to him for emphasis.

"Uhh.. Ok, ok. Very well then, I will let her know. But your Prince may be disappointed." Toma replied in a last effort to discourage Raditz from his choice.

"He won't be. Believe me!" Raditz laughed, letting Toma go. "Thank you for accommodating his majesty." He said, walking back to the booth.

"What was that all about?" Nappa asked.

"Oh, nothing. You'll see.." Raditz said with a sly grin. Nappa rolled his eyes. Vegeta continued to watch the blue-haired beauty on the stage, completely oblivious to the exchange that just happened.

-0-0-0-

Bulma could not help but notice that Toma was speaking with them and serving them drinks and food. She looked away from the smaller man and continued to dance like she never had before. It was almost the end of the song. And the beat was picking up. Whichever one of them was the Prince, he'd better be watching because she was going to put her all into the last half.

She noticed that Toma left with one of them, the one with the really long hair. _I wonder what that's about?_ She wondered. _Oh well._ She continued her routine.

Once finished, she gave a quick curtsy and left the sage. She didn't look back at the smaller man, just walked off. She decided to hurry to her dressing room. She needed to change quickly for her next number.

-0-0-0-

Toma rushed back stage. Bulma was done her song. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. He had promised her that she could stay on the stage. Seeing as she made him so much money there, he didn't see it as an issue. She made more from one song up there than some of the other girls made for a whole evening so he over looked that and allowed her to remain a stage presence only. She was sweet. He liked her. And for whatever reason, reminded him of his own daughter. Should she ever suffer the same fate, he hoped someone may show her the same kindness and give her a break.

He knew Bulma would be angry with him, but was hoping she would over look it this one time. With that thought, he sighed and continued back stage.

She was almost to her room when Toma showed up. "Great job, Bulma!" He exclaimed.

"Thanks, Toma." She said with a smile and walked into her dressing room. He followed her in and closed the door.

"Well, you seemed to have made quite the impression," Toma started. Bulma gave him a curious look then stepped behind a changing screen to change her outfit. "Umm, you made so much of an impression that the Prince requested a private audience with you." He stuttered nervously.

"Uhh. What?" Bulma asked peeking out from behind the screen. This had to be a joke. "You're kidding, right?"

"No." Toma said, hanging his head in shame.

"Well tell him I can't!" Bulma said, starting to panic. Was the Prince that huge guy with the hair she saw talking to Toma? He must have been! Well this was just great! What was she supposed to do? She wasn't comfortable giving anybody a private dance. Never mind a prince! What was she going to do? Never mind that- what was she going to wear?

"I _tried!_ Believe me, Bulma, I did try. But he was quite insistent. They offered me double Sasha's rate and threatened me. What was I to do?" Toma wailed. "You know how many girls here would kill for this opportunity?"

"Ugh! I know! But I don't want to do this! You promised! No private dances!" Bulma whined.

"I know, Bulma. I know. Just this one time. I promise! Whatever he tips you, you can keep. Just please do this for me. The Saiyans, they have a terrible reputation when they're angry. Please do this for me." Toma begged.

Bulma sighed heavily. Toma had been really good to her these past few weeks, and he had turned down other patrons requests over and over again so this must be serious for him to have agreed. "Alright," She said. "Just this one time. But never again! I don't care what they offer!"

"Thank you, Bulma! Thank you!" Toma cried.

"Now what am I to wear?" Bulma asked. "Do you know what he likes?"

"I haven't a clue." Toma said, shaking his head. "But don't worry about your next number. You won't be on stage for the rest of the evening. Just focus on pleasing the Prince. I'm sure whatever you decide to wear will be fine."

Bulma didn't like that phrase: "Focus on pleasing the Prince". But she just nodded and started rummaging through her wardrobe for something to wear. "Alright. Let him know Ill be out soon." She said with a heavy sigh. "What was his name again?"

"Prince Vegeta." Toma replied as he left her room and hurriedly headed over to the VIP area.

Toma composed himself and walked up to the Saiyan with the long hair. "She will be here momentarily." He said to him quietly.

"Excellent!" Raditz said with a sly grin, handing Toma a large sum of cash. "We'll be waiting!"

"Alright!" Toma said, taking the money and backing away. "Is there anything you gentleman would like? More drinks perhaps?"

"Yes! Another round for all of us!" Nappa said, folding his arms behind his head.

"And another bowl of this?" Kakarott mumbled.

"I'll be right back." Toma replied and headed off to do their bidding. He sighed deeply as he put the cash into his jacket pocket. He hoped he wasn't going to regret this.

"Why did you give that fool a whole lump sum of money, Raditz?" Vegeta asked once they were alone again. It was the first thing he'd said since the aqua marine-haired girl had left the stage. "I thought I told you guys that I would be covering tonight since we purged that planet in record time. You guys have earned it over the past few months."

"Oh, nothing. Just paying off a debt." Raditz replied, finishing the last of his drink. He couldn't wait to see the look on his Prince's face when the aqua haired girl came out to greet him. _This is going to be epic!_ He thought to himself with a sly grin.

-0-0-0-

Bulma looked at herself again in her mirror for probly the fifth time in the last three minutes. She left her hair down loose and flowy, and chose a simple black silk dress that showed off her figure. It was low cut in the bust to show off her cleavage, but modest enough to leave something to the imagination. It was tight in her abdomen and waist area past her hips and fell like a pencil skirt to her calves. There was a slit to the thigh on the right side so she could walk. She finished the look with a pair of black stiletto pumps and black gloves and headed out the door to meet this so-called "Prince".

-0-0-0-

Vegeta sighed and looked at Raditz, Napa and Kakarott. "Are you guys ready to go yet?" He asked irritably.

"Nope. Not yet," Raditz said looking around. _Where is she?_ He wondered. It had been a little while. Two or three girls had been on stage since she had left. He was starting worry when he noticed a flash of blue moving through the back. He grinned. Their night was just beginning. So far as he knew, their Prince had never been with a woman. He was just too focused on missions and training which was a good thing. But at the same time, everyone needed to let loose every once in a while too. So tonight was a good night to expose the Prince to the world of women!

Vegeta rolled his eyes and sighed again. He had better things to do than waste his time here watching women dance. He knew this was his fault, but he hoped they could leave soon.

Just when he turned away from Raditz, and looked up, the blue-haired dancer from earlier walked up to their table. She looked simply stunning in her simple black dress. He looked up at her and he didn't think it was possible for her to look even more gorgeous up close than she did from far.

"Prince Vegeta?" She said looking more at Raditz and Nappa than Kakarott and Vegeta.

Vegeta shook himself out of his thoughts. "What?"

Bulma looked at Vegeta. _So you're the Prince, huh?_ She thought to herself. "Hi! My name is Bulma, nice to meet you," she said sitting in his lap.

Shocked, Vegeta froze. _She may be gorgeous but how dare she even think to touch me! Never mind sitting on me!_ He thought to himself. Not knowing what else to do, he just sat there with the woman in his lap.

Raditz and Nappa started to laugh. "Is this your doing, Raditz?" Vegeta asked.

"Yes, your highness. I was under the impression you were quite taken with her. Was I wrong?"

 _What the hell?_ Bulma thought to herself, standing up and taking a step back from the Prince. "I'm sorry, your Highness. I thought…"

"That is not your business!" Vegeta growled at Raditz, embarrassed at being caught and now having to confront this girl.

"Well, I could send her back," Raditz offered. "But she's already been paid for. Go on! Have some fun! I know you find her attractive."

Bulma was seething! The nerve of these guys! Prince or not, she was Bulma Briefs! And she wasn't here to be made a fool of. "I'm sorry I was misinformed of your intentions. I'll leave you now." She said cooly and turned to leave.

Vegeta quickly grabbed her arm, "No one dismisses themselves from my presence. Do you know who I am?" He growled.

"Yea, you're Prince Vegeta. So I heard." Bulma said, turning back to look right at him.

"I am the Prince of all Saiyans." He replied, staring right back at her.

"Ok, and I'm sorry, but that means absolutely nothing to me." Bulma said with a shrug.

"Woman, I should blast you where you stand!" Vegeta seethed, pulling her closer to him. He wanted to shake her. No one talked to him or addressed him with such disrespect. Ever.

Raditz and Nappa had to stifle their laughter. My, this was going to be interesting! Not only was this girl attractive, but she was far from submissive. From the look of it, she was going to give their Prince a run for his money.

"Well, why don't you then?" Bulma shot back fearlessly, not breaking eye contact with the arrogant Prince. What did she care? It would be better than being a slave at a club for the rest of her life.

Vegeta wasn't sure how to respond to that. Everyone he usually threatened with death usually cowered at his feet. Not this girl. He looked at his men and shot Raditz a glare. Who was this girl? This was his fault!

"You guys should get to it." Raditz said, nodding to the door.

"Oh, no. It's alright. I wouldn't want to waste anyone's time if I'm not wanted." Bulma said, shooting another glare at Vegeta.

Vegeta growled and got up and looked the blue-haired woman in the eye. "No, we shall go." It was obvious she didn't want to be here and he didn't want her to win. So he decided to go along with this. He pushed out his elbow for her to rest her hand on. Bulma sighed and rolled her eyes, but complied. _I'm stuck now, I guess._ She thought to herself. "I'll deal with you later, Raditz." Vegeta growled shooting daggers at his companion, and off they went.

Bulma rested her hand in the crutch of the Prince's elbow as they left his companions in the VIP area. "Well, Woman? Where are we going?" he asked.

"There's VIP private rooms towards the back of the club." She replied pointing to a hallway to the right of the stage.

Vegeta lead her down the side of the club and into the hallway. He noticed her glancing at him through the corner of her eye. He opened the door and motioned for her to step through first. She raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What?" Vegeta huffed.

"Oh, nothing. Just surprised is all." She said looking away, embarrassed.

"Hmmn. Why is that?" he asked, closing the door and offering her his elbow again, which she accepted.

"It's nothing. I was just under the impression you really had no interest in coming back here with me seeing as how you reacted earlier. And now you're acting like an actual gentleman." She said with a soft smile.

"Well do not get your hopes up. I don't have any interest in being here with you. I just could not turn down a challenge from my comrades or I would never hear the end of it. And why be surprised? I am a Prince. Of course I know the rules of proper etiquette." Vegeta replied, sounding bored. "Woman, where are we going?" he asked again irritably as they continued to walk down what felt like a never ending hallway filled with doors.

Bulma rolled her eyes. _Figures._ She sighed to herself. "The VIP rooms are just at the end, we're almost there. And my name is Bulma, not Woman."

"Whatever, Woman. It's not like we'll be meeting ever again anyway so it does not matter to me what your name is."

 _Ugh. It's going to be a very long night at this rate._ Bulma groaned to herself. She had to admit, she was a little disappointed that he was acting like such a jerk. Although she kicked herself for hoping different. _Of course he's pompous and arrogant! He was raised a Prince. Everyone is beneath him in his opinion_. _And stop forgetting, you're not home anymore and no longer first on the "best catch" list. You're nothing more than a slave at a club now._ So what was she expecting? She thought sadly to herself. She just hoped he didn't have any high expectations of tonight's "activities". She'd put on a good show but nothing more. And she certainly wasn't going to fawn all over him all night. _He's probably expecting that. Well isn't he in for a surprise! Bulma Briefs doesn't fawn all over anyone! At least he's cute tho._ She smirked to herself, giving him another quick glance out of the corner of her eye.

He wasn't very tall; around the same height as her. His hair stood straight up, giving the appearance that he was taller than he actually was. She noticed that his arm was quite muscular; deceivingly so. She could tell he was in good shape, but not over done and bulky like her boyfriend back home, Yamcha, had been. This guy was more compact. Even the way he walked was unique. He was smooth and confident; He reminded her of a panther, if she really thought of it. _He certainly is a sight to behold_ , she thought to herself. _Too bad he's an ass!_

"We're here," she said, pulling out a key from the inside of one of her gloves. She opened the door, switched on the lights and walked in. "Make yourself at home, your Highness." She said, walking in and heading towards the kitchen area for a drink. It looked like she was going to need it to get through tonight.

"Hmmn." He grunted, looking around the room. It was large and spacious. The walls were a light grey and the carpets a dark grey. There was a huge black couch along the left wall that went along the corner like a sectional. At the end of that wall, there was another room, which he assumed was a bedroom. Across from the couch there was a small black table and what looked like a small kitchen with a fridge and a wine bar. He walked into the other room and realized he was correct, it was indeed a bedroom with a huge king-sized bed covered in black satin sheets. He felt his neck and ears burn and hoped the blue-haired Woman wouldn't notice. Moving on, he saw that the bedroom connected into a huge bathroom with a huge jacuzzi hot tub. He was impressed. This wasn't bad at all. _Now, what am I supposed to do?_ He asked himself, suddenly feeling very embarrassed and leaving the bedroom.

"Can I get you a drink, Prince Vegeta?" The Blue-haired girl asked, breaking his awkward train of thought. He turned and looked at her and noticed she was holding out a tall delicate glass of wine for him.

"Hmmn, that will be fine," he said, taking the glass from her.

"So, what do you think? I've never been in here either; it's nice." She said, looking around. She poked her head into the bedroom and felt her face grow warm as she saw the huge bed. She quickly moved on to the bathroom "Wow! Check out that jacuzzi!" She exclaimed and then rushed out of the bedroom to meet the Prince in the living room area.

He was just standing in the middle of the room watching her with an unreadable expression on his face. _Great! What am I supposed to do now? What does he want me to do?_ She silently wondered, taking a long sip from her glass. She was starting to get nervous now.

Vegeta smirked a little to himself as she walked out of the large bedroom looking slightly flustered. _Is it possible she feels as uncomfortable as I do right now? She's blushing._ That gave him great satisfaction. "So, Woman. What now?" He asked. He had no idea what to do either.

"I don't know, what would you like to do? I could dance for you. Or we could sit and talk a bit and then I could dance for you. Or maybe you'd like to hang out in the hot tub and relax a little?" Bulma blabbered, faster and faster as she went on suggesting different things. She was hoping he'd decide what he wanted to do. She had no idea how to entertain him; and was still very nervous and unsure of his expectations. She just hoped none of them included anything in that huge bed behind her. _Oh god,_ she thought to herself at that last thought as she felt her cheeks going red again. She looked up at the Prince again and saw him smirking at her. _What's he smirking about?_ She thought, feeling annoyed. "What? What's so funny?"

"You," he said, still smirking and enjoying the fact that she was obviously very uncomfortable. "You haven't done this sort of thing before, have you?" He asked taking a few steps closer to her. Somehow, the thought that he'd be her first "Private Customer" pleased him; though the odds weren't likely. She was far too beautiful to be kept up only on stage.

"Of course I have!" Bulma replied, not sure if she should be flattered or offended. "I've entertained tons of men!" She said, taking a step back.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "You mentioned that you've never been here before, though," he challenged, still walking closer to her.

"Well, that's because none of the other patrons were VIPs of your stature. That's why."

"Uh huh… So then why are you so flustered, Little Woman?" he asked, backing her into a wall and looking right into her blue eyes. _Such unusual colored eyes,_ he thought to himself for the second or third time that evening. He thought he could lose himself in them if he wasn't careful. He searched her eyes; something told him this was something she'd never done before and she was out of her element. He saw uncertainty, hesitation and just the slightest bit of fear in her eyes. Mixed with a few other emotions he couldn't quite put a name to.

"Because you're invading my personal space and being creepy?" She said, trying to come up with something better. She looked into his dark eyes. They were so intense; almost bottomless. She quickly lost her train of thought as she just looked back at him. She knew he was searching through her eyes and she felt extremely vulnerable. "Okay, fine," she sighed looking down at her feet. "I haven't done this before. I've only been here a little over two weeks. Okay? Does that make you feel better?" she asked, looking him in the eye again, feeling somewhat braver.

Vegeta stood there and analyzed her again. She was telling the truth. He didn't know how he knew, but he could just sense it. He smirked again "Alright then," he said, pushing away from her and walking towards the huge couch. "You need not fear me, Woman."

Bulma, knowing what he meant with that simple statement, slowly took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Thank you," She said with a shy smile.

"Do not thank me," Vegeta sneered. "I just do not see the honor in forcing myself and my attentions on a woman who is not interested in me. I have more valuable things to do with my time. The only reason I came was to shut my colleagues up. If it were up to me, I would be on my way back to my planet and training again."

"So, you don't want me to dance or do anything for you this evening?" Bulma asked, feeling somewhat hopeful. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe he would leave in the next five minutes and she could have the rest of the evening to herself! She hadn't had a break or any down time since she'd been taken from her home.

"Not particularly," Vegeta replied, finishing the rest of his glass. "I will, however, have another drink. My colleagues will not be ready to leave yet. I might as well let them have their fun and have some peace and quiet here in the meantime." He said, handing her his empty glass.

Relieved, Bulma took his glass and filled it again. _If all I have to do is visit with this guy and keep his glass full all night, this should be easy. I can do that!_ Bulma thought with a smile, pouring herself some more wine as well.

 _She's do delicate,_ Vegeta thought to himself as he watched her move in the kitchen. She was beautiful. _Now that she's relaxed._ He smirked to himself.

"Here you go," she said, handing him back his glass. "So, what are you training for?"

"To become the strongest." Vegeta said, sipping his drink. "There is a legend among my people of the Legendary. When I was born, it was prophesized that I was the Legendary reborn. Since I was a boy, I have been trying to achieve it. But so far have been unable to."

"Oh. That must be disappointing," Bulma commented, not knowing what else to say. She had no idea what a Legendary was. "Is your Father a Legendary too?"

Vegeta looked at her like she was a moron "No, woman! No one has achieved Legendary status in over one thousand years!"

"Okay! Sorry! They never had anything like that on my planet. I've never heard of a Legendary before. Legendary what?"

"Super Saiyan." Bulma gave him a blank look and then nodded. "Are you serious, Woman? Have you never heard of the Legendary Super Saiyan before?"

"No, I haven't, as a matter of fact!" Bulma shot back, a little more harshly than intended. "And up until a few weeks ago, I didn't even know that there was life and other races in outer space, never mind knowing of Legendaries and Super Saiyans."

Vegeta smirked. _She's even more attractive when she's annoyed._ "I knew you were not from around here," he said, changing the subject. "What planet are you from anyway? It must be some back water place if you have never heard of the Saiyans. Everyone in the galaxy knows who we are. We are revered and feared wherever we go."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "I was from a planet called Earth. But some aliens showed up and took many of us hostage and then destroyed it. Because of my appearance, I was considered one of the "fortunate" ones I guess and I was sent to an auction and ended up here, but my whole family is gone! Everything and everyone I knew, gone. They took my dad somewhere and I don't know if he's alive or not." she exclaimed, trying to hold back tears. She hadn't talked about it to anyone since she was taken.

Vegeta nodded; he could sympathize to a degree. But at the same time, it sounded like a routine purging mission to him. Something he did all the time. He'd never heard of Earth before, though. "This Earth planet you're from. What sector was it in?"

"How should I know? I told you, no one knew of any other life outside our planet until these aliens showed up." Bulma said, trying to hold back tears and not get emotional.

"Hmmmn. No wonder your planet no longer exists. What kind of stupid race does not know about the rest of the galaxy? And they must have been weak. They could not defend themselves?" Vegeta commented, more thinking out loud than trying to offend the blue-haired girl sitting a few feet from him.

"Hey! We weren't stupid! And yes, they tried to defend themselves but were over powered by these other aliens with laser weapons and other methods we've never seen before. We just didn't have the time to prepare," Bulma said angrily. "If we had known and had time to prepare, I'm sure my dad and I could have found a way to beat them."

"Oh and is that so? And why would you think that, Little One?" Vegeta said with an amused laugh.

"Both my father and I were highly respected scientific geniuses on our planet. We specialized in transportation and weaponry and dabbled with pretty much everything in between from household appliances to homes," Bulma said proudly. "We were the richest and the smartest people on the planet by far."

"And if you were so smart then how did you not come to know about life outside your planet?" Vegeta asked, tipping his head to the side.

"I don't know," Bulma said quietly, looking into her glass. "No one knew. My father was working on a spacecraft before this all happened. So I guess we were bound to find out at some point."

"Hmmn. And you say these aliens who destroyed your planet took your father with them?"

Bulma nodded. "I don't know why they didn't take me as well. I was just as much a valuable asset to them as he was. Half of the inventions we made, either I thought them up or finished what he started and wasn't sure how to finish. We were a team."

"What did they look like?"

"There were a bunch of different races but the ones in charge were like white lizards." Bulma said, still trying not to get emotional.

"Ahh, yes. The Icejin," Vegeta stated while nodding. "No wonder your planet was destroyed. Other than us, no one stands a chance against them."

"You know of these guys?" Bulma asked, sitting forward.

"Of course I do!" Vegeta said bitterly. "They are the reason why I need to reach Legendary status."

"Did they do something to your planet as well?"

"Yes. Because of our great strength, instead of destroying our planet, they enslaved it. My father allowed it." Vegeta growled.

"Oh my. That's terrible," Bulma said, shaking her head. "At least they didn't wipe you all out." She said with a shrug.

"You know nothing, Woman!" Vegeta snapped, glaring at Bulma. He stood up, downed the rest of his wine and started towards the door.

"Hey, wait! I'm sorry!" Bulma cried, quickly putting down her glass and heading towards the door to stop him from leaving. "I'm sorry! You're right. I don't know anything. Everything I know has just been turned upside down. I can't even begin to understand-"

"No you can't," Vegeta cut her off. He was ready to leave. He wanted to go home, see his father and resume his training. Bulma put her hand on his forearm. He turned to look at her. He should leave. He looked in her eyes and could see her silently pleading with him to stay. _I really should go._ He thought to himself; but he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet. _Why?_ He asked himself.

He sighed. "Alright, I'll stay a bit longer." He agreed, not fully knowing why. He headed back to the couch and took a seat. "Why do you care, anyway?" He asked.

"I don't know," Bulma shrugged, going back into the kitchen and bringing back the wine bottle. "I guess I enjoy your surly demeanor. And if you leave, then I have nothing else to do for the rest of the evening. I don't have any friends here either."

"Hmmn. Well, I'm hardly your friend," Vegeta said, taking another glass of wine. "Saiyans have no friends; comrades, maybe, but not friends."

Bulma nodded at him. She wasn't sure why, but she was glad he'd decided to stay.

Vegeta watched her as she quietly sipped her wine. What was it about her? Sure, she was gorgeous, but he met beautiful women day to day and he didn't give them a second glance. He wasn't actually enjoying her company, was he? _Nonsense! I just don't feel like going back out there with those imbeciles and loud music. That is all._ He told himself.

"Well, what should we do now?" Bulma asked. She wasn't sure what to talk about. She wanted to know more about him and his planet, but didn't want to upset him again. She didn't want him to leave just yet.

"How should I know?" He asked, looking at her. "I've never done this before either."

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you've never done this either?" Bulma asked, holding back a laugh.

"No. I do not make a habit of visiting places like these. Why is that so surprising?" He asked, also, not sure if he should be flattered or offended.

"Just because," Bulma shrugged. "I don't know. On my planet, a guy that looks like you and had your status would be a real player. That's all."

"What's a player?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to know.

"I guess it's a guy that plays girls. You know, a guy who goes out with lots of women but never commits to a single one. I don't know. Usually they hang out in places like this; I guess would be the best way to describe it. I'm sorry for misjudging you," Bulma said with a shrug. "I guess also, being a Prince and all I thought you would be too. I mean, you'd have the pick of any girl you'd want. I bet they throw themselves all over you."

Vegeta smirked. "Well, I am no "player". I can assure you of that. I have more important things to worry about than chase women. I'd say Raditz, one of my comrades that I brought with me, fits that description much better than I do."

Bulma grinned. "So, you don't have a girlfriend then?" she snickered.

"A what?" Vegeta asked, scowling.

"A girlfriend! You know, a significant lady friend that you only shower affection on and no one else?"

Vegeta snorted, "I do not have the time for anything so foolish. There is, however, a troublesome wench my father has been pushing at me. He's been expecting me to choose her as a mate a year from now."

Bulma giggled, "Ohh, like an arranged marriage sort of thing?"

"Something like that," Vegeta grumbled. "I'll be damned if I'll be taking her as a mate though."

"Uh ohh, you don't like her?" Bulma asked innocently. _This is getting interesting!_ She thought to herself.

"There is nothing to like! She's needy. Only interested in being future queen and advancing her family's wealth and position. She is not to be trusted. How can one have a mate you can not trust?"

"And your father likes her?"

"Apparently. I do not know how she has managed to bewitch him, but she will not be my mate. That's a given," Vegeta growled. "I would rather have no mate then end up bound to her the rest of my life."

"That would be hard. Can you not choose her?" Bulma asked, not sure why she really wanted to hear that he didn't have to marry this girl he didn't have any use for.

"I do not have to. But it will make life with my father extremely difficult for me. Not to mention that this girl has rallied many of the advisors and elders on her side as well. Her father is a political figure and expecting this union."

"I hate politics," Bulma sighed.

"Well, so do I, but it's not something I can escape. I'll find a way around this. And if I don't, then when I finally achieve legendary status, I will blast them all into oblivion. Then we'll see how much everyone has to say." He said with a smirk. "Woman, you still have not told me what we are going to do."

Bulma put her head back and sighed. "That's because I don't know," When she looked back up, she was trapped in his intense gaze yet again, unable to break eye contact.

Vegeta stared at her for a long moment. "Well, what would you do on your planet, Woman?" he asked. "Surprise me."

"Okay then," Bulma said, standing up and placing her glass of wine on the table. "We're going to pretend that we're on a date," she said, walking over to her small purse and taking out her ipod.

"What's that?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's what two people do when they first meet. They go out and do activities to get to know each other." She said, plugging in her ipod to a music device on the wall.

"Hmmn, What did you have in mind, Woman? I do not intend on returning here or going out to do activities."

"I know that. But let's just, for tonight, pretend that we are on a date." She said, scrolling through her ipod. "After all, we did just meet. And while we may never meet again, we are talking and getting to know each other. This is kind of like a date if you really think about it."

"Alright," Vegeta agreed. It wasn't like he had anything else to do, and he was somewhat intrigued. "You still haven't said what we're doing though, Woman."

"Well, seeing as you're a Prince, I decided that we're going to dance together." Bulma said, finally choosing a nice, slow song.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and got up from the couch, placing his wine glass down on the table. He was struck again by how beautiful she was. He extended his hand towards her. She took it and came up close to him as he put his hand on her waist and held her other hand out while she placed her left hand on his shoulder. They gently swayed to the music together in silence. _She even feels more delicate than she looks._ Vegeta thought to himself as he held her closer to him. For some reason, he felt this need to hold her and protect her. He breathed in her scent. It was very subtle and reminded him of vanilla and something else.

Bulma allowed herself to be drawn into Vegeta's arms. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so safe. Since she knew that this would be a one shot deal, she decided to take advantage and enjoy every last moment. Who knew when she would feel like this again? "I always did dream of dancing with a Prince." She snickered as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hmmn." Vegeta grunted, allowing her to stay that way.

-0-0-0-

Raditz slammed down another empty glass. "Well, was I right or was I right?" He asked, turning to Kakarott.

"I guess," Kakarott shrugged. "He's been gone for quite a while." He had finally quenched his hunger 11 bowls later of noodles and meat.

Raditz chuckled, "Of course he has! I know I would be with a girl like that! I'm kind of regretting letting him have her though," He said with a frown.

"What if they're just talking?" Kakarott asked.

Raditz burst out laughing. "Yeah, right! I'm sure that's what they've been doing this whole time!"

"They might be," Kakarott said, frowning at his brother. He agreed with Vegeta. Places like this were a waste of time. He didn't understand how Nappa and his brother could spend so much time and money in places like these. Sure, he appreciated beautiful women like anyone else; but he didn't enjoy these places like they did.

Raditz sighed and shook his head at his little brother. Nappa had found a girl to take to one of the back rooms and he was strongly considering doing the same thing.

-0-0-0-

When Bulma and Vegeta stopped dancing after a few songs, she opened up another bottle of wine and they continued to visit. They talked lots about how different their lives were growing up but talked mostly about Bulma and her father's inventions. Vegeta was very interested in the capsulation technology.

"Its easy!" Bulma gushed. "That was my father's big break and it made him millions! Then after that he just kept on inventing other things. Then, one day, I came up with an idea to improve his original design. After that, we became a team." She said proudly. She was so excited to talk about her work again. And couldn't believe that Vegeta actually understood and was able to follow most of what she was talking about! Most of her friends on Earth couldn't keep up. Even Yamcha zoned out every time she'd get excited and start talking to him about a new project. Eventually she found the only person she could really talk to about this stuff was her father.

Vegeta was amazed. Not only was this girl gorgeous, but she was smart as well. It was very clear that the Icejin made a huge mistake leaving her behind. _What a waste that she ended up here._ He thought to himself.

As the night wore on and they continued to visit, they realized that they both had quite a lot in common. Both were the first born in a prestigious family. Both were fairly sheltered growing up and were under very high epectations. They both had an interest and understanding of science and technology. They found themselves picking each other's brains on different theories. Neither of them seemed to notice that as the night wore on that they were also seemed to be sitting closer and closer. _Too bad this isn't a real date._ Bulma thought to herself. She was running out of things to say. And she didn't want the night to end just yet. It had been just too perfect. She was getting tired, however.

Bulma decided to be bold and rested her head on his shoulder. _Just for a moment._ She told herself, closing her eyes.

Vegeta turned and looked at the Blue-haired girl, now resting her head on his shoulder. It was strange. He never liked anyone invading his personal space, yet he didn't seem to find this simple gesture overly intrusive. He sat there just watching her snooze for a few minutes. She was beautiful even when she slept. _It's a shame I can't bring her back with me. She would make a very valuable asset in our science department. And she might actually be happy there, judging by the way she lit up when we started talking about her inventions and such._ He thought to himself. He sat there, watching the Blue-haired woman rest. Not minding her close proximity and enjoying the silence. He wasn't sure what ever possessed him, but before he could think better of it he found himself reaching over and tucking a few loose strands of hair from her face behind her ear.

The sudden movement woke Bulma up. She found herself looking right at the Prince with his hand still lingering on her cheek. They looked at each other for a long moment; neither one saying a word. Just looking at each other.

"I should go." Vegeta said, removing his hand and gently standing up and away from Bulma. He didn't know why, but he didn't really want to leave. He just knew he had to. Or he would end up doing something stupid.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep on you like that," Bulma said, embarrassed, stifling a yawn.

"Its nothing. I should be leaving anyway." Vegeta said, turning again to face her in an awkward silence.

"Right! You need to get home and train." Bulma said, smiling at him. She could tell he wasn't sure what to say to her.

"Hmmph. That's right." Vegeta said with a smirk. Before he turned to leave, he handed her a thick sum of cash. "Here, take this. If there's ever the chance you can buy your way out of this place, use it towards that."

Bulma was shocked. Before she could thank him, he was out the door. "Hey, wait!" She called out to him, "Will you come back?"

Vegeta stopped and turned to look at her once more, "Not likely."

"Oh. Well in that case, thank you," she said with a smile, walking up to him, extending her hand for a handshake.

Vegeta eyed her hand and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Misunderstanding her gesture though, he took her hand and kissed the back of it, all the while not breaking eye contact with her.

Bulma took a deep breath and held it. She hadn't been anticipating that. She blushed as she stood there trapped in his gaze as his lips grazed the back of her hand. He lingered for another few moments then smirked and walked away.

Still in a daze, Bulma shook her head. "Good luck reaching your goal!" She called out.

Vegeta chuckled and continued down the hall way. "Oh, I will." He said, not turning back to look at her again. He knew if he did, he'd end up back in that room with her. As it was, it was taking all of his self control to not turn around and go back. _Something about her._ He thought to himself, shaking his head. He had actually enjoyed himself this evening.

Raditz sat up with a huge grin on his face as he saw their Prince walking back out of the Private Rooms area. "Hey, here he comes!" he said with a laugh, elbowing Nappa.

The three companions stood up to meet their Prince.

"Well, lets go." Vegeta grumbled, reaching for the tab for the evening. He looked at it and frowned. After throwing down a healthy sum of cash on the table, he turned and headed out.

Kakarrot followed out quickly. He had been ready to leave as soon as his stomach was full. Nappa and Raditz looked at each other and shrugged before following.

The four Saiyans boarded their ship and headed off the planet's atmosphere. Vegeta set the coordinates to the planet Vegetasei and started towards his private quarters.

"So.." Raditz started, leaning on the wall by Vegetas room. "How was your evening?" He was dieing to know what happened.

"It was adequate." The prince said, heading into his room without pausing.

"That's it?" Raditz asked, disappointed that his Prince wouldn't give him any details.

"That's it." Vegeta replied.

"Was she worth the money at least?" he asked, getting frustrated. He had to know!

"She was. She was worth more." He admitted, finally looking at Raditz briefly before continuing to get his towel and shower stuff ready.

Razitz smirked, "I knew she would be! You know the manager tried to tell me she wasn't available? Said she had no experience. I knew he was lying."

Vegeta paused. "He wasn't."

Raditz raised his eyebrows, "He wasn't? " Vegeta shook his head. "Well how bout that. She was alright though? You were gone long enough. You guys hook up?"

"Enough!" Vegeta shouted, slamming his hand down on his desk.

"Okay!" Raditz chuckled, raising his hands up in surrender. "I was just curious, seeing as she seemed like a real feisty little thing when you guys left."

Vegeta smirked."Hmmn, she was.."

"What?" Raditz pressed. He desperately wanted details.

"She was a lot of things." Vegeta sighed.

"Oh yea? Do tell."

Vegeta frowned and looked at Raditz, "Get out."

"Alright! Sorry! I just wanted to know!"

"The evening was satisfactory. That is all you need to know. Now leave me be!" Vegeta growled.

"So, I'm not in trouble then?" Raditz asked with a grin.

"Hmmn. Not this time. But do not interfere with my personal affairs again. Now leave." Vegeta bellowed, slamming his door in Raditz face.

Raditz laughed and headed back down the hall way to his own room. He passed Nappa's room on the way to his. "So? What happened with Vegeta and the wench?" Nappa asked.

"Not sure. I think he liked her." Raditz said with a frown. He wasn't really sure. It could be so hard to read the Prince. He'd known Vegeta all his life and he still had a hard time figuring him out most of the time.

Kakarott smirked to himself. If he knew his Prince, he knew the fact that he didn't volunteer any information to Raditz meant he was smitten. He'd have to try and find out for himself tomorrow.

Vegeta started the shower. Part of him didn't want to shower. He could smell the Woman's scent on him. He liked it. _Nonsense!_ He growled to himself. He couldn't deny it; he had really enjoyed his evening with her. _Too bad my father couldn't have chosen someone more like her to be my mate. She would have been perfect. Not only was she beautiful, but she would have made a smart Queen as well._ Vegeta turned the water up hotter and shook his head. He had to rid himself of these thoughts.

He finished his shower and went to bed. He fell asleep almost immediately and dreamt of Blue.

-0-0-0-

Bulma left the VIP room and headed back to her own room as quickly as she could. _Did that seriously just happen?_ She asked herself. She pulled out the cash the Prince had given her and counted it. She fought back tears as she tried to do the math in her head. _Wow! If I'm not mistaken, that's like half of what I need to get out of here! Combined with what little I do have, I may actually have a chance of getting out of here after all!_

Bulma quickly stashed the money away in a safe place. She quickly changed into her pajamas and plunked onto her bed. She sighed deeply. _Too bad he wasn't an actual date._ She thought sadly to herself for about the tenth time that evening. She knew if it had, she'd be jumping up and down and acting all giddy.

She took a deep breath and decided she had better calm down and try to get some sleep. When she finally did fall asleep, she had a smile on her face.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 2** _

Bulma changed her outfit for the third time that evening. She only had one more song to do and then she was done for the evening. Thank god for that! She just wanted to crawl into bed and fall asleep.

It had been two weeks since Bulma's encounter with the Prince. She thought of him every day since that evening. She couldn't believe how well they'd gotten along; and she still couldn't believe how much money he'd given her! What boggled her mind even further was the connection she thought she'd felt with him.

He must have felt something too. Why else would he have stayed so long? And why else would he have given her so much money to put towards freeing herself? She had thought about it over and over again. Analyzed every detail from their actions to their conversation; she had thought about it until her head hurt. He must have felt it too. It couldn't have been just in her head. Her stomach did flip flops every time she thought about how he had taken her hand and kissed it just before he had left her. The way he had looked at her; the way his eyes smoldered. Just thinking about it made her blush.

Every night, she'd step out onto the stage and glance up to the VIP area from the stage in hopes that maybe he was there. Maybe he came back. And every night she was disappointed. Every night she headed back to her room and kicked herself mentally; _He said "Not Likely" when you asked him if he was ever coming back. Those were his exact words. And why would he? He also said he doesn't like places like this. He's not coming back. God, life isn't fair!_

She couldn't believe it! She finally had accepted, more or less, that this was going to be her life for the next while until she had figured a way out of here. But she had definitely accepted that her life was never going to be what it was before all this happened to her. Then Prince Vegeta showed up one night and quite literally had swept her off her feet. What were the odds she'd actually meet someone who shared the same intelligence and same interest in technology? On Earth, none! She had settled on Yamcha. She always figured she could never do better than him. But it always frustrated her that intellectually, they weren't on the same level. Oh well. No sense dwelling on him anymore either. He was gone with the rest of her planet. But again, what were the odds that she would meet someone she just clicked with in every way, only to never be able to be with him or see him again? And a Prince no less! It just wasn't fair!

 _Just forget about it, Bulma._ She thought to herself. _He's not coming back. No sense in hoping and dwelling on something that isn't going to happen._

With that, she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and headed out and onto the stage.

_**ONE WEEK AGO** _

It took the Saiyans a week to make it back to Vegetasei. The whole time, Vegeta trained vigorously in the ships small training room. He had to get the blue-haired woman out of his head. No matter how hard he trained or how viciously he pounded his three companions into a pulp, he couldn't forget about her. It was driving him crazy! And it didn't go unnoticed by his companions, which aggravated him even more. He knew they were smirking at him behind his back.

After a particularly intense session, Raditz carried Nappa to a regeneration tank in the next room. "That's enough for today." Vegeta said, wiping the larger Saiyan's blood from his arms and chest. Raditz exhaled in relief. He didn't feel like being on the receiving end of the Prince's rage today.

"It's the girl, isnt it?" Kakarott asked with a knowing grin, following him out of the training room.

"What are you talking about, clown?" Vegeta growled, still wiping himself off in the washroom.

"You really liked the blue-haired girl from the other night and now you can't get her out of your head." Kakarott said, still grinning.

"Don't be ridiculous." Vegeta said, rolling his eyes.

"Then why have you been so uptight since that night?" He pressed.

"I haven't been "up tight". I just need to train. Nothing I do is good enough. I need to figure out how to increase my strength." Vegeta said, looking at himself in the mirror. Nappa hadn't even left a mark on him.

"It's okay to admit that you liked her. I won't tell the others." Kakarott said, leaning against the wall.

"Well that's comforting to know, Kakrott because there is nothing to tell!" Vegeta bellowed, walking into a change stall to change out of his torn training clothes. "I went to a tavern with you three imbeciles, Raditz thought he would be funny and send me away with one of the wenches that work there. Since he had already paid for her, I had little choice but to go with her. I then spent the evening drinking and talking with her because I wasn't in the mood for any of your company and loud music. It seemed like the more desirable option at the time. After an evening of drinks and mundane conversation, I left. I will not deny I didn't find her attractive, but even so, I can assure you, I haven't given her any thought since I left. There. Are you happy now?" Vegeta said, exiting the stall and slamming the door behind him.

"Okay! I'm sorry! I just thought that maybe she had struck a chord with you. You have been acting a bit off since that evening is all. I meant no harm." Kakarott said, shaking his head at his stubborn prince.

"I'm fine," Vegeta snapped. "Just anxious to get back home."

"Right. Me as well." Kakarott agreed. "Alright, well, just…"

"What." Vegeta growled, grabbing a towel and glaring at the younger Saiyan.

"It's nothing, but if you decide you want to go back and visit her again, let me know. I'll be more than happy to come with you," Kakarott said quickly, not liking the look his prince was giving him.

"I will not be returning, Kakarott!" Vegeta said, glaring at him. "Why would I?"

"The food was really good, Vegeta! And then you could see the blue-haired girl again. What was her name again?"

"Bulma."

"Right. I could get some food again and you could see Bulma again." Kakarott said, grinning again.

"Hmmn." Vegeta growled. "And what makes you think I even want to go back and see her?" He sneered, getting very tired of this conversation. He just wanted to be left alone. Was that so much to ask? In truth, he had thought many times of turning the ship around and returning to the tavern. Blowing it up and taking the Woman back with him. _But why?_ Why did she even matter to him? It wasn't his problem her planet was destroyed and now she had to work at a tavern as a slave dancing for men. _She was brilliant though,_ He thought. _That's why. She could be put to much greater use to help us improve our technology and finally rid ourselves of those damn Icejin if she could do even half of what she claimed she could._ He reasoned to himself. That had to be it.

"Awe, come on, Vegeta," Kakarott whined. "I can tell you really liked her! You may be able to convince yourself of that, but you can't convince me. Or you need to do a much better job of it. I know you better than anyone."

"Hmmn." Was Vegeta's only reply. He hated that the younger Saiyan knew him so well. It wasn't proper.

"Plus she seemed really nice. Like not what you usually find in places like that. Not to mention gorgeous." Kakarott said, listing off the qualities he had noticed in his brief encounter with her. He didn't know why, but he had a good feeling about her.

"Enough." Vegeta growled. "We won't be going back and that is final!"

Kakarott rolled his eyes. _Why does he always have to be so stubborn?_

"You forget your place. I am a Prince. What use would I have with a tavern wench?"

Kanarott looked down. He didn't have a reply. Vegeta was right. Even if he did like her, they would never have a chance at a future together. Still, he couldn't help but feel bad for his prince. Sure he met tons of women everywhere he went. He had his choice of any of the Saiyan women on their planet. Yet he had never seen his prince show any interest in a single one. Ever. And the girl that his father had chosen for him, Asia, was terrible! Sure she was beautiful, but that was where her positive qualities began and abruptly ended. Kakarott couldn't stand her. So much so, he didn't even hide his dislike for her from his Prince. He just really hoped he could find a way to reason with his father and not end up stuck with her.

"Exactly!" Vegeta barked. "Now this will be the last I hear of it. Understand?"

"Yes, your highness." Kakarott said, knowing he had overstepped his place.

"Good." Vegeta said, leaving the washroom and heading to his own private quarters to shower. "Get ready. We will be landing in two hours."

Kakarott sighed and shook his head after Vegeta left. He knew he was right about the prince's feelings. He'd never seen him react to a woman like that before. Well, once before but that was many years ago and had ended terribly and he didn't even want to think about that situation.

Kakarott smirked to himself. _Well, when you decide to admit your feelings to yourself, Vegeta, I'll be ready to go with you!_

Vegeta stepped into the shower and turned the water up as hot as it could go to relieve some of the tension he was feeling. Why couldn't he get the damn woman out of his head?! He couldn't believe that he was making it that obvious to everyone around him too. _Damn that Kakarott! He thinks he knows everything about me when he doesn't know anything at all! I couldn't go back for the Woman even if I wanted to._

He stepped out of the shower and used his ki to dry himself off. He chose a black spandex training suit to wear underneath his royal armor. He wasn't going to be so weak as to let the Woman enter his thoughts any more. Once he stepped foot on his home planet, that would be that.

_**TWO HOURS LATER** _

Vegeta stepped off the ship and onto his home planet of Vegetasei. As corny as it sounded, there was no place like home.

He was greeted by his father, an entourage of several elders and that annoying wench that his father insisted on bringing with him everywhere. Vegeta growled inwardly at the sight of her. He really didn't feel like dealing with her right now.

"Father," He said, bowing to the King.

"My son! Rise." The king said, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations on a successful mission! And in such an efficient time manor as well." King Vegeta looked exactly like his son, only was quite a lot taller and had a goatee. He carried himself in the same manner that radiated confidence, just like his son.

"I could not have done it without my superior team." Vegeta said, gesturing towards Nappa, Raditz and Kakarott who all stood behind their prince.

"What an excellent team the four of you make. I'll have to remember to send the four of you together more often." The King said, acknowledging the three Saiyan soldiers behind his son. "Come along, my son! We have much to discuss. There have been many developments since you left on this last mission; and we haven't much time. I arranged a banquet for this evening to celebrate your return."

"Alright, father." Vegeta said, nodding. He followed his father along off the dock. He nodded to the few elders that had accompanied his father and completely ignored Asia.

They made it into the King's council room. It was huge and had a long table. The King took his seat at the end; Vegeta sat next to him on his right. He rolled his eyes as he noticed that Asia took a seat next to him on his right as well. _What the hell?_ He growled to himself.

"Why is she here?" he asked his father quietly.

"She is going to be Queen one day. She needs to learn how everything is done. Someone will need to rule in your place while you are out on missions." The King said, dismissing his son's obvious distaste of her presence.

Vegeta sighed, heavily. He wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this one. "It's so nice to see you made it back safely, your Highness." Asia gushed, putting a hand on his forearm.

Vegeta quickly pulled his arm away from her hand and scowled at her. _How dare she touch me!_ He seethed. "Of course I made it back safely." He growled.

Stung by his actions and harsh reply, Asia said nothing. She had been trying for two years now to win over the Prince; and it seemed impossible. HE was impossible. She had dressed up in her best in his presence always. Behaved the way a proper Queen should behave; and yet she still got nowhere with him. It frustrated her to no end! So her second plan of action was to attach herself to the King and gain as much favor in his eyes as she could so that when the time came, Prince Vegeta would have no other choice but to choose her!

Asia couldn't understand for the life of her why he wouldn't want to choose her anyway. She was strong and beautiful. Her father was one of the Kings top advisors, so he wouldn't even have to go through the hassle of getting approval from the council for his choice of mate. She knew she was a good catch. She could choose any of the Saiyan Elites she wanted and any of them would have been honored to have her as their mate. But she didn't want a Saiyan Elite. She wanted Prince Vegeta. Who could blame her? Not only was he the Prince of one of the strongest empires in the galaxy, he was also one of the strongest as well and not to mention absolutely gorgeous! What girl wouldn't dream of being with him?

As for any potential competition, Asia had started rumors around the planet that she and Vegeta were secretly engaged. None of the other available girls had even tried to compete with her for the Prince's affections after that. She was, after all, one of the strongest female warriors Vegetasei had to offer. Who was going to stand up to her? She knew it was unwise to start rumors, but she didn't care. In her mind, this was already a done deal. She would be Vegeta's mate and crowned Queen and she'd be damned if she'd let some other girl come along and take him away from her. He just needed more time and convincing is all. She wasn't giving up on him any time soon.

Vegeta's rough and gravelly voice brought Asia out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Father. The only source we found on that planet that could be used for our advantage was a sort of unique, flexible steel alloy that I've never seen before," Vegeta explained. "It seems very strong. It looks like it could possibly be used to make stronger ships. Being that it is strong and yet thin, and quite malleable, it could be used for many other things as well. I salvaged as much as I could to bring back for further examination and inquiry. We then purged all life and left the planet standing just in case this discovery does turn out to be something we could use to our advantage. If not we can always go back and destroy the planet. It's vacant of any life anyway; just a sitting rock."

"Very good, my son!" the King said, proudly. Many of the elders nodded as well. "You'll have to retrieve your findings later on this evening and bring it to the science wing. Bardock will be very fond of this new discovery and will decide if it can be utilized or not. Now for the matter of transporting the new weapons and ships to the planet Alger," the King started on a new subject. "That is going to be a problem. We have mass volume and need to transport everything over there without too much detection. Lord Frieza will be here in a month or so. We cannot have him know how much our weapons department has grown."

"Hmmn." Vegeta grunted to himself. _That woman had a perfect solution to that. Go figure. Maybe I should have turned around and blown up that tavern and brought her back._ Vegeta thought to himself with a slight smirk.

"Do you have a solution for this, my Son?" The king asked, noticing Vegeta's slight change in demeanor.

"No, sir. Nothing to speak of as of now." He said, annoyed that he'd let the thoughts of the Blue-haired woman return to him and distract him yet again!

"Are you certain?" The king asked, raising an eyebrow. He could read his son very well and knew that he wasn't telling him something.

"Well, there may be something we came across on our journey home, but at this point its unfounded and premature to even discuss in a council meeting. In will speak with Bardock personally when I deliver that alloy to his lab." Vegeta said, not knowing if he should let them in on Bulma's "Capulation" theory just yet or not. What if it wasn't true and he just sounded like an idiot?

"Hmmm. Very well then." the King nodded, satisfied with his son's answer. "Do not delay on this though. We need to get a move on storing those weapons elsewhere before Frieza gets suspicious."

"Why is Frieza coming here, anyway?" Vegeta growled. He hated the Icejin emperor with a passion. Once he trained his hardest and ascended to the Legedary, he would wipe out that horrible lizard and his whole damn race.

"I'm not sure. I only know it has something to do with you." The King replied.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "I am not going back into service with him. I have too many things to attend to here."

The King nodded, knowing how much his son loathed the lizard emperor. When the Prince had been ten years old, he had agreed to let Frieza take him away as a protégé to teach him how to rule. The idea being for Vegeta to learn what the King himself could not teach him in hopes of finding a way to destroy the lizard emperor all together and free the Saiyan empire for once and for all. Then the Saiyans could rule as the strongest in the galaxy as was meant to be. It had seemed a good idea at the time. The King wasn't sure what the Ice-jin emperor had put his son through, but when Vegeta returned seven years later, he was changed into the cold, hard young man that sat beside him today.

The King had tried many times to talk to his Son and find out what had happened. He had heard rumors of the things he had endured while under Frieza's service. He just didn't know if they were true or not; and Vegeta would never give anything away, even two years later. Bitter and angry, the only thing his son obsessed about was training to achieve his birthright of Legendary. The King kept sending his Son out on purging missions in hopes that he could come to terms with his hated and anger that way, but nothing seemed to work.

The King regretted many times sending his only son away. Bardock's youngest son, Kakrott had been sent away as well to accompany Vegeta on his service. Yet he returned unchanged for the most part. His strength was astounding for this rank, but he still seemed like the strange, gentle, care-free boy he was when he had left. Unlike his son who had turned bitter and angry. The King had asked Bardock on several occasions if he knew anything that had went on with the two boys, but never got a straight answer from him; he either didn't know or didn't want to tell the King, knowing that if he revealed too much, it could be to the young Prince's embarrassment. So the King just hoped that his son might open up one day to him and let him in on what had actually happened.

"Yes, that is true." The King said, glad that his son was taking an interest in Royal politics and matters. "And there is still the matter of you taking a mate."

"I will not discuss that right now, Father." Vegeta said, getting up to leave.

"Well, it needs to be discussed, my son." The King objected.

"I have training to do. We shall discuss it at a later time." Vegeta said, exiting the council room.

The king shook his head with a heavy sigh. "Very well, but we shall discuss it later on today." He didn't know what his Son's objection to Asia was. She was beautiful, smart and impressively strong for a Saiyan female. The potential strength possibilities of any offspring they would produce would be advantageous enough that this union was an excellent choice. He had tried many times to talk some sense into his son, but got nowhere.

Asia looked at the King questioningly. The King nodded at her and so she left the room in pursuit of the prince. Maybe she could talk to him and get him to see things her way.

"Vegeta!" Asia called out to him, jogging down the hall way to catch up with the prince's speedy stride.

Vegeta growled and rolled his eyes. She was the last person he felt like conversing with. All he wanted to do was pound someone or something into a pulp. "What do you want?" He barked at her, not glancing up to even acknowledge that she was now walking beside him.

"I was just thinking that maybe we could spend some time together. You have been gone almost a month," Asia said, hopefully. She so badly wanted him to reciprocate her feelings. "I missed you."

"And why would I want to spend the rest of my afternoon with you?"

"Well, seeing as we are going to be mates soon, I think it's in our best interest to get to know each other better and…" Asia started to explain but was cut off when Vegeta grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her up against the nearest wall.

"Get one thing straight. I do not want to have this conversation again. I do not want, need or have interest in having a mate. But when I do, I can assure you that it will not be you," Vegeta said dangerously through gritted teeth, looking her in the eye. "Do you understand?" he yelled, shaking her to further emphasize his point.

"But, your highness," Asia persisted.

"It will never happen. Find another." Vegeta snapped, letting her go. "Now leave me alone. Go find someone else to irritate." He said, spinning on his heel and leaving her alone in the hall way. He was hoping to have a quick training session in before having to report to Bardock about his findings on that planet. He also wanted to run by him the technology Bulma had mentioned to him. If anyone could figure out a way to replicate it, it would be Bardock. He was respected as the most intelligent Saiyan and scientist on the whole planet.

Asia stood in the hall way rubbing her shoulders where Vegeta had grabbed her. _What is his issue with me?_ She asked herself, trying to fight back tears of rejection. There had to be a way to win him over. There just had to be. She wasn't going to give up. This just meant that she'd be have to start being a little more manipulative. That's all.

She quickly pulled herself together. She wasn't going to cry over his latest of repeated rejections. _Maybe he's only making this more of a challenge to me to make sure I'm actually worthy of his affections?_ She thought to herself, feeling some of her lost confidence return with that best things in life never came easily, right? She could do this. Asia decided to change her clothes to something more flattering for this evening's banquet. There was still enough time in the day to have something made last minute. Yes, she was going to have the most jaw dropping and beautiful dress made that would force the prince to notice her once and for all. She smirked at her idea and then headed off in the direction of the many fine tailors the palace had to offer.

_**MEANWHILE** _

After a very brief and unsatisfying sparring session, Vegeta left the training area to go find Bardock, give him the alloy and bounce some ideas off of him.

He walked into the science wing and into Bardock's lab to find the older Saiyan studiously looking into a microscope at something or other. The older Saiyan was always at work; something Vegeta respected highly. He respected the older Saiyan's dedication to his craft. Vegeta felt the same way, only towards training.

Bardock practically lived in the science wing. It took Vegeta years before he even met the older Saiyan's mate. He had assumed for the longest time that either she had passed or he hadn't had one. But no, she lived outside the palace far away from the capital for whatever reason. Vegeta could never be bothered to find out why. He just knew that she only showed up at the palace for special occasions.

"Your Highness," Bardock greeted, not looking up from his microscope. "How was your mission?"

"It went well," Vegeta replied, standing next to the older Saiyan. "Quite fruitful, actually." He said, placing the alloy metal, wrapped up in cloth on to the table.

"What have you brought back for me to examine this time?" Bardock asked in an amused tone, raising an eyebrow and pushing his microscope away. He needed a break from that anyway.

"It's some kind of flexible steel alloy," Vegeta explained as the older Saiyan unwrapped it and began examining it immediately. "It seems to be incredibly strong, despite the fact that it's flexible and extremely light weight. I thought that maybe it could be used to build lighter, stronger and possibly faster ships."

"Hmmn." Bardock replied, looking at the sample Vegeta had salvaged. "This could be interesting. Do you have more?"

"Yes, it's still in my ship in the storage compartment." Vegeta replied.

"I will have someone retrieve it later on, your highness. And I will perform some tests right away. Is there a way to obtain anymore if this proves to be useful?"

"Yes. I did not purge the entire planet; only its inhabitants. The planet seems to have tons of it. If it proves to be useless, I will return and destroy the rest of the planet."

"Well, you may have found something that may yield some good things, my Prince. Good work." Bardock replied. "I trust my sons were of help to you on this mission as well?"

"Of course." Vegeta replied. He always envied how proud of his sons Bardock was. He knew his father was proud of him, but he never acknowledged that fact unless it was in front of his peers. He wished his father would say something to him one day; at least once. That would make him happy. Vegeta dismissed the thought and stood watching Bardock continue to examine the unique metal he had brought back.

"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss, your highness?" Bardock asked, sensing that there was something else the younger Saiyan wanted to tell him.

"There is, but I need you to keep it between us at the moment," Vegeta said, looking at the older Saiyan, not knowing how to really tell him about this without bringing up the blue-haired woman. He still couldn't get her off his mind and he knew by discussing this, it would only make him think of her more.

"Of course my Prince," Bardock said, putting down the piece of metal and push it to the side, giving Vegeta his full attention. "Anything you have to say to me has always and will always be kept confidential if his highness wishes it to be kept that way. That will never change." Bardock had become a confident of the young Prince many years ago while serving under Frieza. He had been too ashamed to speak with it to his father about some of the horrific events he had been exposed to and since Bardock had made a habit of checking in on his own son, he always made sure to check on the young Prince as well. Vegeta cared for his father, but in many ways, he was closer to Bardock than he was to his own father. Vegeta had always appreciated that the older Saiyan had taken the time to speak with him when he needed it and never leaked the stories he had told. Not even to his own father.

"On the course of our travels, we came across a unique woman," Vegeta started. He could feel his cheeks growing warm just mentioning the blue-haired woman. _God damn it! Get a hold on yourself and stop being so weak!_ He chastised himself. "She spoke of a technology no longer in use, as her home planet had been destroyed."

"Alright," Bardock nodded, choosing to ignore the faint blush that spread across the young Prince's cheeks.

"She had mentioned the concept of being able to transfer many large items at a time into a small capsule." Vegeta explained. He remembered some of what the woman had told him of how it worked, but could not remember all of it. _Damn those mesmerizing blue eyes of hers. And that mouth! I can't even remember anything of what she told me!_ The Prince raged internally. _She had practically explained the whole thing to me!_

Bardock nodded, thinking about the theory the Prince had just mentioned. It was brilliant. He just wasn't sure how it could be possible or how to even go about replicating such a thing. "Where did you find this woman?" He asked. He was intrigued by this idea. He knew that they needed to find a way to move many large ships and weapons off the planet in the matter of a few weeks. The King had approached him to come up with a solution, but so far he had none. At least nothing that was of the caliper of this brilliant idea.

"It does not matter." Vegeta replied quickly. He didn't want to get into it. Not even with Bardock.

"Are you able to speak with her again, your Highness?" This is a brilliant idea that may be their only hope. He didn't want to miss out on the possibility.

"Hmmn. It could be arranged," Vegeta said, looking away from the older Saiyan. Part of him wanted to leave and head back there now. Another part of him told him not to, that he'd only be looking for trouble. Would he be able to leave her there again?

"Well, I suggest you go and find her!" Bardock encouraged. "Why did you not think to bring back such a brilliant mind here? If she knows about something as complex as this, what else could she know about that could aid us?"

"My thoughts exactly." Vegeta replied, nodding.

"Well, then why did you not bring her back?" Bardock asked. This was a strange story. However, being one of the few brilliant minds on the planet Vegetasei, the thought of having an encounter with someone who's mind might be able to rival his own intrigued him. He had to meet this woman.

"It's complicated," Vegeta replied, still not wanting to get into it. "She is a slave, she belongs to another. I could not just bring her back without causing some sort of uproar."

"Can you not buy her?" Bardock asked. How could a slave know of such things?

"I might. I do not know what they would want for her. I can assure you, she would be quite costly to obtain and unfortunately her talents are being wasted in the situation she has found herself in since the demise of her planet." Vegeta explained.

"Alright. Tell your father that you need to go and retrieve more of this alloy from that planet you just purged. Take Kakarott with you. Go and visit the Woman and see if you can't buy her from her master and bring her back here. How far away is she?"

"One week." Vegeta replied. "With travel to Kor-sei, shouldn't be more than a week and a half."

"Do it. Leave tomorrow. We cannot delay in this. I will tell your father that we need more of this alloy immediately. I'm sure I can figure out an innovative use for it either way." Bardock said. He was liking this idea.

"Alright. I will leave you now. I must prepare for my father's banquet." Vegeta said, turning to leave.

"Your highness," Bardock called just as he was at the door. "She must have been very beautiful as well." He said, smirking.

Vegeta growled. Was he really making it that obvious this obsession he seemed to have with the Woman after only one meeting? He had to find a way to deal with this. "Hmmn. She was attractive." He agreed and left the lab.

Bardock smirked to himself. He would have to ask Kakarott about this mysterious brilliant mystery woman. She had to be something special if Vegeta could not speak of her without his ears and neck burning up. He had never seen the Prince react like that over talking about a woman before. Too bad that Asia woman didn't spark the same response in him. Bardock sighed and shook his head. That union would be nothing short of a disaster if the King kept pushing it. She was all wrong for his son. Yet how could the King not see that? The boy had no interest in her. Yet the King kept pushing her at him. _It will all work itself out in the end. Vegeta is going to do what he wants, like he always has._

_**A LITTLE BIT LATER** _

Vegeta decided on a quick shower to wash off the sweat from his brief training session before heading down to the banquet.

He really didn't feel like visiting all night. He growled at the thought that Asia would be hanging off him and trying to throw herself at him all night. Did the girl have no self respect? How much more clearer did he have to be to make her get it? He did not want her. _Hopefully our little encounter this afternoon shook some sense into her._ He thought with a smirk. He had shaken her, quite literally. Hopefully she got the point. He really didn't feel like dealing with her anymore.

 _Maybe I can socialize briefly and get a good night's rest so I can head out early tomorrow on this new "mission"._ He thought to himself. _I wonder what the Woman will think when she sees me again?_ He wondered while changing into his formal armor. _What does it matter? She's going to tell me everything she knows or I'll leave her there again!_ He scowled at himself. He hadn't forgotten that fiery temper she had briefly displayed on the first few minutes of their meeting.

With one last glance at himself, he headed out down the hall way to the banquet hall. He just wanted this evening over and done with so he could go and get his blue-haired Woman. _Wait a minute? She's not mine._ He thought, to himself, scowling again. Then he smirked to himself. _She isn't mine. Yet…_

Vegeta entered the large banquet hall. It was already busy. _Good. Then maybe I can talk to everyone I need to and sneak out early._ He thought to himself. He grabbed a glass of wine off the table and headed over to where his father was mingling.

"My son!" the King greeted, waving him over. He was surrounded by several of the council members that were present in the meeting earlier. "Did you have the chance to speak with Bardock about that alloy metal you discovered?"

"I did, father. He thinks it was a brilliant find. It can definitely be used to our advantage, though he is not sure what he wants to do with it yet," Vegeta replied. "He suggested I leave in the morning to retrieve the rest from that planet."

"But you just got back," The King objected. "Why not send Kakarrot or one of the others out to retrieve it. I'd much rather have you around here. As you yourself mentioned, there is much to be done here."

"That is true, father, but I would feel more confident going and retrieving it myself. It was me who found it in the first place. The others may miss it." Vegeta said trying to think up any excuse he could find to justify being able to go. "I will only be gone 2 weeks or so. Then once I have taken it all, I shall purge the rest of the planet. There should still be plenty of time before Lord Frieza arrives as well."

"Hmmn. That is true." The King nodded. "Very well, then. If you wish to go, you may. But hurry back. We still have much to figure out with storing those weapons and to prepare for Frieza's visit."

"I won't be long, father," Vegeta said. "I will bring Kakarrot with me to speed up the process. We shall leave first thing tomorrow."

"Sounds good, my son. Enjoy the evening then!" The King said, raising his glass to him and taking a sip.

Vegeta nodded and excused himself from the council men his father had been conversing with. He needed to find that fool Kakarott and inform of tomorrows departure. Maybe they could even leave tonight? Just as he had suspected, he found him near the back of the room by the generous buffet table filling his face. Vegeta rolled his eyes and walked up to him.

"Oh. Hey, Vegeta!" He greeted between mouthfuls. "This is the best buffet I think they've ever made!"

"You say that at every banquet." Vegeta said, dryly, grabbing a plate and a few things for himself.

"Maybe. But I definitely think this one is one of the better ones." Kakarott said with a shrug and continued to eat as though he hadn't eaten in days.

"Well, enjoy it. We leave tomorrow." Vegeta said.

"Where are we going?" Kakarott asked, actually pausing from his food to look at Vegeta.

Vegeta glared at him.

"Ohhh! We're going back to that tavern to visit Bulma?" He asked with a grin. He knew Vegeta would want to go back. He was glad!

"Who's Bulma?" Asia asked, waltzing up to the two Saiyans.

Vegeta and Kakarott turned and looked at the Saiyan female before them. She looked absolutely stunning! Her makeup was flawless and simple yet not overdone, showing off her high cheekbones and full lips. Her thick, dark hair was upswept around her face and flowed femininely over her right shoulder in large loose curls. Her dress was bright red chiffon with a dramatic plunging neckline down past her navel. Beneath, you could tell she was wearing a small pair of red underwear underneath to cover the essentials. The dress had a slit from the middle where it connected to the navel and flared out in an "A" line style to the ground. It perfectly accentuated her ample cleavage and ideal hourglass figure, not leaving much to the imagination.

Vegeta glared and looked her up and down. "That is none of your business. What do you want?"

Asia ignored his harsh tone. "I only wanted to dance with you."

"I do not dance. Ever. You should know that by now; and if I did, why would I dance with you?" he asked with distaste.

"Well, seeing as we are going to be the future king and queen, wouldn't it be nice if we danced a few songs? You know, for morale and all. There are a lot of people here tonight. It would look good." She said, slipping her hand under Vegeta's arm.

Vegeta backed away and out of her grasp. "I thought I made myself clear to you already. I will not mate with you. You will never be my queen." He growled through gritted teeth trying to contain his rage at the audacity of this female. What was it going to take for her to leave him alone?! "And I would not disgrace myself by taking a queen who dresses as a whore." He added, turning away from her completely and grabbing another drink.

Asia looked at him, stung by his words. She had spent a lot on this dress; all in the hopes of getting him to finally notice her. She knew she looked gorgeous. Half the Elite soldiers had been drooling over her since the moment she entered the banquet room.

"But you'll go and travel half way across the galaxy to visit some tavern whore?" Asia asked, eyes blazing in anger. How dare he treat her with such disrespect!

Vegeta rolled his eyes and took a long deep breath in an effort to calm his rage. He shot Kakrott a death glare. He always had to talk so loud! "That is none of your concern and has nothing to do with you."

"Seeing as you are my mate-to-be, I think it is my concern." She stubbornly continued.

"Alright, if you must know," Vegeta said with a heavy sigh, silently praying to whatever gods there were out there, if there were any to begin with, that he wouldn't blast this girl in front of him in front of half the kingdom. "I discovered a very rare product on the planet we just purged. I showed Bardock a sample and he would like for me to retrieve the rest of it before it is discovered by someone else. On our travels, we happened to cross paths with a brilliant scientist who may have the knowledge to be able to help us with our issue of transporting weapons." Vegeta explained, sounding bored.

Asia thought for a second. It sounded innocent enough, but she wasn't dumb. "Well, she can't be that brilliant if she's at a tavern, now is she? And why were you at a tavern anyway?"

"It is none of your concern!" Vegeta growled again through gritted teeth. "You have no claim to me as I have absolutely none to you. You can go and do whatever the hell you want with whomever you want and I wouldn't care less; as should it be to you when it comes to me and my private affairs."

"Mates don't…" Asia started to argue.

"We are not mates!" Vegeta spat viciously. "Nor will we ever be mates. Get it through that thick head of yours! I don't know where you got that idea from because I am well aware I have never indicated that I was interested in any such union with you." He said, gulping down the last of his wine and walking away in a huff. He had to leave now before he hurt someone or broke something.

Kakarott was going to follow Vegeta to find out when exactly he wanted to leave when Asia grabbed his arm. "Is she really a scientist?" She asked.

"Ummm I think so," Kakarott said, shrugging. He really didn't want to be in the middle of this. He didn't even like Asia. She always made him feel really uncomfortable. "I didn't really get a chance to talk to her, it was Vegeta that did and he said she was really smart."

"Is she pretty?" Asia asked.

Kakarott started to giggle nervously and scratch the back of his head, not knowing what to say or how to diffuse the situation. "I guess. She's an alien. So I don't know. Maybe? She kinda looks like a Saiyan I guess. Just she has blue hair and no tail, from what I could tell."

Asia thought for a second. So was that it? Was she not "exotic" enough for him? "And you guys are bringing her back here."

"Uh huh. Vegeta thinks she can help. Or something. That's what he said." Kakarott nodded, seeing Vegeta at the door and glaring at him. "I have to go." He said, walking as fast as he could, away from Asia.

Asia watched the two Saiyans leave. She was not happy. Not happy at all. This evening hadn't turned out at all like she had planned. She had been hoping that when the Prince saw her tonight that he wouldn't be able to take his eyes (or hands) off of her. She had fantasized about it all afternoon while she was getting ready: They would dance all night together, share a few kisses and maybe if she had played her cards right all evening and she was lucky, just maybe he would bring her back to his rooms and finally claim her as his. She hadn't been at the banquet at all long when all of that came to a crashing halt as soon as she overheard his conversation with Kakarott.

 _So, he's infatuated with another._ She thought angrily; her eyes burning in an effort to keep back her angry tears. How did this happen?! She'd spent well over two years trying to gain his affections, and here some blue-haired whore apparently had won him over in one night! No, she wasn't going to give him up that easily; but what was she going to do?

She came to the decision to let the King in on this little side quest of Vegeta's. And when this so-called "Scientist" arrives, she would be letting her know who the Prince really belonged to. In the mean time, who was also with Vegeta on that mission? _That's right, Raditz and Nappa._ She thought with a smirk, and as luck would have it they were both here tonight.

Nappa scared her, and she knew Raditz was easily manipulated by beautiful women. He had quite the reputation around the kingdom for his many conquests. _Raditz it is then. This should be easy._ She smirked and headed off into his direction. She needed to get as much ammunition as possible before going to the King.

-0-0-0-

"Why were you talking with that wench?" Vegeta seethed as they left the banquet hall. He could not even express how much he hated her.

"It's not like I wanted to stay and talk to her. She grabbed my arm and wanted to know about Bulma." Kakarrot whined.

"So you should have thrown her into the nearest wall and blasted her into the next dimension! No, the one after that so she'd have no chance of ever making it out again! Audience and consequences be damned!" Vegeta growled. He wished he'd have done that; but it was too complicated seeing as his father seemed to like her and her father was a council member. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing. She wanted to know if Bulma actually was a scientist and I said I didn't know because I don't know and then she asked me if she was pretty and I also said I didn't know because she was an alien with blue hair and no tail but still kinda looks like a Saiyan." Kakarott explained, proudly, thinking he had done a good job.

Vegeta sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. Why was he constantly surrounded by idiots? "Even that was too much information."

"Well you're the one that said she was a scientist and that we were bringing her back," Kakarott argued. "So technically it was you who told her since I only heard about it then. I just repeated what I heard you say."

"Well, I had no choice because YOU, as usual, have to talk so damned loud that I'm sure half the kingdom now knows that we are going to pick up a blue-haired scientist. If you would have kept your voice down in the first place, she wouldn't have known now, would she?" Vegeta seethed.

"Hey, Vegeta I'm sorry. But I couldn't help it that I was actually glad you decided to go back for her; no matter what the reasons were." Kakarott said defensively. "Is that the reason why we are going back for her or is that just what you told Asia?"

"Of course it's the reason! Your father knows all about it. Why else would I bother myself to go and pick up some random tavern wench? Do you think she'd go with anyone else?" Vegeta said, getting frustrated. Too many people were getting involved with this.

"And does your father know?" Kakarott asked. He couldn't believe his father was in on this before Vegeta had even told him.

"No. He doesn't need to know right now. All he needs to know is that we are going back to that planet to gather the rest of that alloy crap. We will swing by on our way back and pick her up. I'll deal with my father later when we return."

"Alright," Kakarott sighed. This sounded like it was going to get complicated. No matter what, though, he'd always stick by Vegeta. The two of them had practically grown up together. Seven years in Frieza's service together had bonded the two young Saiyan men closer than even brothers. "What if Asia tells your father?"

Vegeta paused and thought about that for a second. "Whatever. Let her tell him," He shrugged and continued down the hallway. He really didn't want to think about her anymore. "Get your things. We will leave in an hour."

"Alright. I'm going to pop in really quick to see my father and I'll meet you at the shipping dock." Kakrott agreed.

Vegeta nodded and the two Saiyans parted ways.

_**MEANWHILE…** _

Kakarott entered his father's lab in the science wing of the palace. He always knew he could find him there, ever since he was young.

"Hi, father!" He greeted, walking up to his father who was looking intently into a microscope.

"Hello, son," Bardock replied, not looking away from his work. "How was your mission?"

"It was fine. I'm actually heading out again tonight with Vegeta." Kakarott said, scratching the back of his head.

"Yes. Are you going to retrieve that scientist and bring me back more of this alloy metal? It's a remarkable material." Bardock said, pushing his microscope away for the second time that evening.

"Yea. We are leaving in an hour." He said nodding.

"So, tell me about this scientist," Bardock said with a sly smile. "Is she beautiful?"

Kakarott chuckled. "What makes you ask that?"

"Just with how vague Vegeta was." Bardock replied shaking his head, remembering how embarrassed the young Prince seemed even mentioning her.

Kakarott laughed. "Yeah, he's not saying much where she's concerned. I wasn't sure at first, but after the last week and how he's been acting, I'm pretty sure he's smitten with her. I couldn't blame him. She was very beautiful."

"So she is beautiful. Heh, figures." Bardock said with a grin. "How did you guys happen to come across her?"

"Well, Vegeta didn't want to go on the last mission. He thought it was a waste of time. So he made a deal with Nappa, Raditz and I to reward us if we helped him purge this planet in record time so he could return here to train," Kakarott explained. "I didn't really have a preference, but Raditz and Nappa wanted to go to a tavern and party all night, so when we did as he asked, he held his end and took us out for an evening on him. We got to this tavern on the way home on Planet Vegas that Nappa said was the "best" and not long after we got there, this beautiful blue-haired girl was dancing on stage. She really caught Vegeta's attention. Anyway, Raditz and Nappa thought it was funny since Vegeta usually has no use for women, especially women in places like that so Raditz bought her for him for the evening."

Bardock shook his head. He didn't know where his older son got that promiscuous streak from. It wasn't from him. And it most certainly wasn't his mate, Penelope. "I'm sure that went over real well with the Prince." He said with a sigh. Trust his son.

"Oh, Vegeta was pretty mad. But that's not even the half of it. Apparently, this girl hasn't been there very long but doesn't do private dances or that other stuff," Kakarott explained, feeling embarrassed. "So, Raditz had to pay like double to get the manager to even agree to it. Yea, Vegeta was mad, but surprisingly went along with it anyway and he was gone with her for hours."

Bardock grinned again. "Did they…?"

"I don't think so, no." Kakarott said, shaking his head. "She was very beautiful. And I know there was an attraction there. But I'm fairly certain nothing happened. Raditz and Nappa think he did because he was gone so long and he did carry her scent on him, but they would think that."

Bardock nodded. He knew the Prince well. He was too controlled to do something so careless; especially if he actually liked the girl, which he suspected. "And she's smart?"

"I don't know. She was really mad at Vegeta when she first met him because he insulted her I think. I don't really remember. They had these amazing noodles and meat dish there and I was kind of focused on that."

Bardock rolled his eyes. _It figures._ He thought to himself. Only his son would be more interested in food than a tavern full of beautiful women.

"So they argued a bit and he went with her. And that's all I really know about her. I didn't even know she was a scientist until Vegeta told Asia."

"He told Asia about this?" Bardock asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, he didn't want to, but when he said he that we were going back, I was really excited and said it too loud and didn't notice her coming up to Vegeta and she heard about it. Oopse?" Kakarott mumbled, getting the same look from his father that Vegeta had given him earlier that evening.

Bardock sighed, knowing that if Asia knew about this, it was going to get really ugly real fast. "Nice going, son. Well, Let me handle things here. You and Vegeta concentrate on retrieving this scientist and that alloy material."

"Alright. We shouldn't be too long." Kakarott nodded starting to head out and get ready to leave again.

"Tell Vegeta to pick up the girl first," Bardock called out to his son. "Ask him to ask her if she has any of these "capsule" things on her and use them to store the material on the way back."

"What things?" Kakarott asked, already confused. "What are capsules?"

"Nevermind. Just tell Vegeta to pick her up first to see if she can use that technology to bring the alloy home as a test. If she can't because she doesn't have it with her, that's okay. She can make them here. I was just hoping for a demonstration when she got here."

"Okay. I'll let Vegeta know." Kakarott nodded. "Bye, Father!"

"Goodbye, Son." Bardock called out, grabbing his microscope again. He really hoped this girl was worth all this trouble.

_**AN HOUR LATER…** _

Vegeta and Kakarott met at the same time at the ship dock. Their ship just needed to be refueled, which Vegeta had someone do already, so they were ready to go.

"Did you tell your father that we were leaving early?" Kakarott asked once they were inside the ship.

"I left him a message in his office. I told him that I didn't want to delay my return any further." Vegeta replied with a smirk.

With that, they started up the ship and blasted off the planet, leaving the planet Vegetasei behind them.

"Oh yeah, my father said we should get her first and see if she can use her technology to bring back that stuff we are getting." Kakarott said, trying to remember exactly what his father had said to him.

"Fool. You didn't think I hadn't thought of that already myself?" Vegeta said with a laugh.

"I didn't know. At dinner you said we would get her after."

"Well, we are getting her first." Vegeta said, setting the coordinates for auto pilot. They would be there in exactly one week.

"So, are you nervous?" Kakarott asked.

"Why would I be nervous?" Vegeta asked with a frown, setting the final coordinates to autopilot.

"To see Bulma."

"No." Vegeta replied, getting annoyed that he could feel his ears turning red. In truth, he was nervous. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to the Woman. He had told her he wasn't coming back. What if she wasn't even there anymore? He didn't know how much money she would need to free herself, but he knew he had given her a good head start. It would take them about a week to get to her, so that's two weeks. What if she made enough by then to pay them out? Or what if someone else had come along and bought her instead? What if she was mad at him? He didn't know. He just figured that he'd know exactly what to say to once he saw her; and hopefully she would be happy to see him. _Hmmph. She'd better be glad to see me!_ He thought with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And if anyone cares enough, Asia's dress is a red version of the famous scandalous Green Versace Dress Jennifer Lopez wore to the Golden Globes many years ago. I love it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer :** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 3** _

Bulma changed her outfit for the third time that evening. She only had one more song to do and then she was done for the evening. Thank god for that! She just wanted to crawl into bed and fall asleep.

It had been two weeks since Bulma's encounter with the Prince. She thought of him every day since that evening. She couldn't believe how well they'd gotten along; and she still couldn't believe how much money he'd given her! What boggled her mind even further was the connection she thought she felt with him. She wondered continuously if he had felt the same thing she had.

Every night, she'd step out onto the stage and glance up to the VIP area from the stage in hopes that maybe he was there. Maybe he came back. And every night she was disappointed. Every night she headed back to her room and kicked herself mentally; _He said "Not Likely" when you asked him if he was ever coming back. Those were his exact words. And why would he? He also said he doesn't like places like this. He's not coming back. God, life isn't fair!_

She couldn't believe it! She finally had accepted, more or less, that this was going to be her life for the next while until she had figured a way out of here. But she had definitely accepted that her life was never going to be what it was before and then she'd met the handsome Prince. _Just forget about it, Bulma._ She thought to herself. _He's not coming back. No sense in hoping and dwelling on something that isn't going to happen._

With that, she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and headed out and onto the stage. Since she was so tired, she decided on the track "Feeling Good". It would be a nice mellow song to finish off her evening. She hadn't done a ballad in a long time either, so this would be good. Something no one would be expecting. Lately, she's upped her efforts up and had been doing more of a sexy retro burlesque theme with 30's and 40's hair and pin-up style outfits. It had been a huge hit! Everyone loved it. Thank god she had a ton of Christina Aguilera on her ipod! She had even gone out a few nights and sang some of the songs herself and everyone still thought she was great.

Tonight, she decided for her last song, she'd actually sing it herself.

She started to sing the song; slow and husky. She moved sensually and very slowly. It was very quiet in the club this evening. She knew she shouldn't, but she looked up at the VIP area and there he was; standing there with his arms crossed smirking at her.

Bulma almost forgot her line and froze the second their eyes met. She had to do a double take. Was she really that tired and obsessed that now her mind was playing tricks on her? She continued on with the song, not missing a beat. However, she could not take her eyes off the handsome prince that stood in the VIP lounge. How long had he been there? Was he here to see her? Should she go out and see him after she was done on stage? She wasn't sure what to do. In the meantime, she just continued on, as planned, with her song. The rest would have to wait.

_**A little while earlier…** _

Just as Vegeta had predicted, it took them a week to make it back to Planet Vegas. They landed the ship and headed into the tavern as quickly as they could without drawing any attention to themselves.

The same hostess as before with the iridescent skin and light pink hair greeted them. "Hello, gentleman. Welcome back, Prince Vegeta. Would you like seating in our VIP area again?"

"Yes." Vegeta barked a little more harshly than he intended. He just wanted to get in and get the damned Woman and be out of there.

"Right this way, please." The hostess said, leading them up to the VIP area. "Is there anything I can get for you gentleman?" She asked once they had chosen a seat.

"Nothing for me." Vegeta replied looking out on the stage to see if Bulma was on. She wasn't.

"I'll have a couple of orders of that noodles and meat dish you guys have here." Kakarott said. He had been looking forward to it the whole way back. Vegeta glared at him. "What? We're probably never coming back here anyway, right? So I want that again."

"We will not be staying long. Just long enough to find the Woman and get her out of here."

The waitress returned a few minutes later with two bowls of the noodle dish Kakarott had asked for. "Is there anything else I can get for you?" She asked.

"Yes, can you bring your manager here? We spoke with him the last time we were here about a certain woman that works here. I'd like to speak with him again." Vegeta asked.

"Of course! That's Toma. I'll send him over right away." She said with a nervous smile and left to find Toma.

After a few minutes, Toma arrived. He was really nervous now. "Hello, Prince Vegeta. How are you this evening? I hear you were looking for me?"

"I was. I was fortunate enough to spend an evening with a blue-haired woman you have here named Bulma a few weeks ago. I wanted to know if she is still here?" Vegeta asked, standing up to speak with Toma.

"Bulma? Yes. Of course. She's still here. Why do you ask?" Toma asked. This wasn't good. Bulma had told him things with the Prince had gone well.

"I wish to see her again this evening." Vegeta stated.

"Oh, well, you see-" Toma started.

"You will bring her to me." Vegeta stated. "As a matter of fact, you will tell me how much you paid for her and I will purchase her from you."

"What? Your highness, I'm flattered, but I couldn't-" Toma stuttered.

"You can and you will," Vegeta interrupted him, looking him right in the eye. "I could very simply walk back there and take the Woman and burn this place into the ground with the snap of my fingers if I wanted. However, I am choosing to not do that. Now which is it?"

Toma was shaking like a leaf. He had never been as afraid in his life as he was now at that moment. He had never experienced a bad run-in with a Saiyan, but he had heard many stories. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to turn Bulma over to this Prince Vegeta. On the other hand he'd lose the tavern and his life by not going along with what the Prince wanted. So, to his never ending shame, he nodded his head.

"Which is it?" Vegeta repeated, growing impatient.

"I'll let you buy her off of me." Toma agreed, not looking the Prince in the eye. He was too ashamed of himself.

"Excellent. Now bring me to her." Vegeta said with a smirk. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face.

"Well, actually, she's just going to be going up now for her last number of the evening. If you wouldn't mind, please let her finish the one song and then you can go on your way." Toma asked.

"Fair enough," Vegeta nodded. "When she is finished, you will take me to her." He stated, taking a seat again.

"Y-yes, your highness." Toma nodded, leaving the two Saiyans.

"That was almost too easy." Vegeta said with an arrogant smirk.

Toma returned a few minutes later with a small piece of paper with a sum of money written on it and handed it to the Prince. "This is what I paid for her."

Vegeta looked at it and looked at Toma. He then pulled out a sum of money and handed it to him. "And here's an extra thousand for being cooperative." Vegeta said to him.

"Th-thank you, your highness." Toma said, bowing and leaving the Saiyans. He certainly wasn't expecting that!

Vegeta heard a new song starting and stood up and walked to the end of the VIP area to watch his blue-haired beauty dance. _My, won't she be surprised._ He smirked to himself.

He watched her. She was doing a really slow song and dancing very slow and sensually. She just every bit as beautiful as he had remembered she was. Finally she looked up and right at him. She paused slightly, not messing up the words to her song, but was able to regain her composure quickly enough that no one probably noticed her slight slip.

He smirked at her as she continued on, pleased that she was surprised to see him. He couldn't wait to see her in a few minutes.

They continued to watch each other as she finished her song; eyes, never breaking contact. He could see the faint blush on her cheeks. Finally, she was finished and hurried off stage.

"Wait here," Vegeta said to Kakarott, who was still eating, as he turned and headed towards the exit of the VIP area where he was met by Toma.

"This way," Toma said, leading the Prince down to the back of the large room. They went through the door and to the back where there were many rooms and doors. There were girls running around changing and getting ready, Toma stopped at a door and turned to Vegeta. "This is her room. May I talk to her first and let her know myself?" He asked, pleadingly.

"Hmmn. Make it quick." Vegeta nodded.

Toma knocked and walked into her room. "Bulma?"

"Yea, Toma, I'm here," She replied. She was behind her screen changing. "Hey, was it just me, or was that handsome Saiyan Prince in the VIP area earlier?" She asked. She needed to know if he was actually there or if she was just hallucinating.

"No, he's here." Toma replied. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain this one.

"And?" She asked, hoping he had come to see her.

"Well, that's interesting." Toma stuttered. "He umm… How do I put this?"

"He paid to see me again? That's alright. I'll see him again." Bulma said excitedly, buttoning up a beautiful backless red dress. She wanted to look amazing for him.

"He paid me for more than that." Toma said, quietly.

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked, her face turning red. She had a feeling she knew what that meant. After all, they didn't actually do anything the last time. Sure she had thought about what she would do if he had returned and had dreamt up several scenarios, almost all of them ending with her in his arms. However, now that she might actually be faced with it, she wasn't sure how she felt about that or what she would do.

"He paid for you. You no longer belong to me." Toma said, finally looking her in the eye.

"He what?" She exclaimed! She couldn't believe this!

"I know, I'm sorry! He threatened to burn this place down if I didn't!" Toma wailed. He felt bad. He really did.

"No, that's alright." Bulma said, trying to process what Toma just told her. Did he just say that, or was she imagining things?

"Just be careful! The Saiyans aren't known for being the nicest of people to serve! And he didn't say what his intentions were for you!"

"I'll be fine, Toma." Bulma reassured. "I've made it this far, thanks to you."

"Well, I…"

"No need to explain. Just know that I appreciate everything that you've done for me. If it weren't for you, who knows where I'd be?" She said, smiling at her now former manager. She wouldn't miss this place, but she would definitely miss him.

"Well, if you ever need a place to come back to, you can always come work here." He offered.

"Thanks, Toma!" Bulma said, not sure if she should give him a hug or not.

There was a knock at the door. "Is she ready yet?" They heard the impatient Saiyan on the other side huffing.

Toma answered the door. "She's all yours, your Highness." Toma said, exiting the room as quickly as he could. He still felt really bad.

Vegeta came in and closed the door behind him and found himself once again face to face with the blue-haired woman who had haunted his every thought and invaded his dreams every day for the last two weeks.

"Hello," Bulma said, not sure what to say or do. Now that he was here, she wasn't sure how to act around him.

Vegeta smirked as he quickly strode up to her and put an arm around her waist and pulled her to him before she could even think. "What are you doing?" She asked; her face flushing.

"What I should have done the last time I saw you." He said and before she could respond, he crashed his lips onto hers and kissed her fiercely with everything he had. He had obsessed repeatedly about what her lips would feel like on his. He put his other arm around her waist and pulled her even closer into him, if that were possible.

I took Bulma's mind a second to process what was happening to her before she responded. When she kissed him back, she kissed him back with just as much passion as he was kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer to him. _Wow, he's an even better kisser than I had dreamed he would be._ She thought to herself.

When they finally separated to breathe they looked at each other. "Now that was a kiss." Bulma giggled.

"Hmmn. _"_ Vegeta smirked. "Of course." He kissed her lightly on the lips again.

Bulma smiled against his lips. "I'm so happy you came back."

"I had little choice," He replied, still mesmerized by her eyes. "I'll explain later. Let's just get you out of here. There will be plenty of time for everything else once we get back to my ship." He said, letting go of her.

Bulma sighed in protest. She wanted him to kiss her again, but she supposed he was right. "Alright, I can get all of my things packed up pretty quick," She said. "I don't have much. Remember that capsulation technology I told you about?"

"I do." He nodded.

"Okay, well, watch carefully!" She said with a wink as she tossed a capsule down and a huge suit case appeared.

Vegeta blinked. A second ago, there wasn't anything there and now there was a clothing case. "Woman, how?"

"Capsulation technology. Neat, huh?" She said proudly. She quickly opened up the suit case and began throwing in random clothes and outfits inside as fast as she could. She grabbed all the makeup on the dresser. She then turned to the stunned prince when she was finished packing up the essentials. "Watch closely," She instructed, throwing the capsule down again and the suit case disappeared, leaving only the capsule in its place on the ground.

"Hmmn. Impressive," Vegeta nodded. He wasn't sure what to say. However, he was relieved that she was right about it in the first place. "Do you have any more of those?"

"I have a bunch. Yea. I had them stuffed in my socks when they took me. And I was able to keep them hidden." Bulma nodded. She went back behind the screen and began to change into something more comfortable.

Vegeta blushed and looked away from the screen, not knowing what to say to her. He knew she was naked behind the screen. "We have a stop to make to another planet before we head to my home planet." He explained awkwardly, trying to distract himself from the fact that she was naked behind that flimsy screen.

"Okay." She said, tossing the red dress over the screen and coming back out with a red t-shirt, tight black jeans and sandals. "Let's go then!"

"You're not taking that red dress?" Vegeta asked.

"I could. Why? Do you like it?" Bulma asked with a grin, poking the tip of her tongue out from between her teeth.

"Hmmn." Vegeta grumbled. "Let's go."

Bulma chuckled to herself and grabbed the red dress, draping it over her arm. "Wait!" She called, running back to where her bed was. She grabbed the large stash of money from under the mattress. "Here, you can have this back." She said, handing it to him.

"No, that is yours." Vegeta said, shaking his head and exiting the room. Bulma paused for a moment, again in shock for a second, but put the cash in her back jeans pocket and followed Vegeta out of her room. She followed him all the way back to the VIP area where Kakarott was waiting for them.

"Let's go." Vegeta barked at his companion. He just wanted to get out of there and back to the confines of his ship where he would be more comfortable.

Kakarott paid for his meal and followed his prince and the blue-haired girl.

Toma was standing at the exit, looking very solemn. "Good luck, Bulma. I hope I haven't failed you."

"I'm sure you didn't, Toma." Bulma said with a smile. She felt bad that he seemed to be taking this so hard. "I'll find a way to send word to let you know that I'm fine once I'm settled. How's that?"

"I'd like that very much." The manager nodded with a small smile.

"Can we leave now?" Vegeta asked her, trying to hide the impatience he was feeling. Bulma nodded. She was ready to go and start this new adventure with this mysterious prince. She wasn't sure if she should be excited or nervous. She still had no idea why he had done what he did. She only hoped it was for the best. Her adventurous side was telling her to enjoy every minute of it. At least now she was able to see more of the galaxy and another planet! However, the common sense side of her was telling her to be very cautious. She didn't even really know this Prince Vegeta. What if he turned out to be not such a nice person with bad plans for her? Bulma shrugged to herself, _I guess I'll just have to find out. Not like I have much of a choice now, do I?_

They exited the tavern and headed to the ship. Bulma was impressed. It was quite large, like a small private jet. They boarded the ship and she watched in fascination as Vegeta started up the ship and they took off with such ease, she couldn't believe it. Within minutes, they were in outer space.

Vegeta put in the coordinates of the dead planet they were heading to and turned back and walked up to the stunned blue-haired girl. "Don't you have to fly this thing?" She asked.

"I set the coordinates to our destination." Vegeta stated.

"Oh. Like auto pilot, right?" She asked, feeling dumb. Vegeta nodded.

"This is Kakarott, my first lieutenant." Vegeta said, gesturing to the younger Saiyan in the second seat, realizing only now that he hadn't introduced them. "When I am not around, he will accompany you at all times. I trust him implicitly."

Bulma nodded, "Hello. My name is Bulma." She said, extending her hand out to the other Saiyan.

Kakarott looked strangely at her hand and took it in his, not sure what to do after that. "I'm Kakarott. Nice to meet you! I've heard a lot about you over the last two weeks. It's nice to see you again, as I didn't really get a chance to meet you last time."

"Oh, really?" Bulma asked with a blush, turning and looking at Vegeta, who was standing there pinching the bridge of his nose in embarrassment. She could see his ears burning.

Kakarott looked at Bulma's hand in confusion, still not sure what to do with it. "Sorry," Bulma said, taking her hand back. "It's an Earth tradition."

"Ohh." Kakarott nodded, still not understanding.

"Woman, follow me." Vegeta said, leaving the front of the ship and trying to get as far away from Kakrott as he could before he said anything else to embarrass him. Bulma followed him towards the back of the ship.

"Here are your quarters," He said, gesturing inside a small room. Bulma walked in. There was a small bed, dresser and mirror and a very small bathroom with a shower stall, sink and toilet. _Not bad!_ She thought to herself. "Mine are right here across from yours," He said, pointing to a closed door right across from where they were standing. "And Kakarott's is at the end of this hall."

"Wait, I get my own living quarters?" Bulma asked in confusion.

Vegeta nodded. "I thought you would be more comfortable with your own," he said, turning red again. "Of course, I could change that if you'd like."

"No, no! I'm grateful, actually! Thank you!" Bulma blurted out, also turning red. Her stomach had been turning knots since they left the tavern. She wasn't sure what his expectations of her would be now that he "owned" her. She had heard many horror stories since she had been taken from her home and was relieved and actually really touched by his thoughtfulness. "I just wasn't sure what... You know, your plans were for me, is all. I just assumed…"

"Ah," Vegeta nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. He wasn't sure how to answer her because he wasn't entirely sure what his intentions were either. He hadn't thought any further than picking her up and bringing her here. He knew he wanted her. That much he was certain about. But he wasn't sure if he was going to make her his personal concubine or an assistant scientist to Bardock. He decided in that moment, he would decide that on the way back to Vegetasei.

He knew she was smart, but was she smart enough to work alongside Bardock? He wasn't sure. Also, there was the matter that she was a woman. Not just any woman, an alien woman. He hadn't thought about it until they were half way out to Vegas, but he knew she wouldn't be welcomed in the science department, no matter how intelligent she was. At least he knew Bardock was looking forward to working with her. Or at least, he seemed to be the last he had spoken with him. The thought that she was an alien woman didn't seem to faze him in the least.

"It's okay," Bulma said, seeing the obvious confusion in his face. "Is it alright if I take a quick shower?"

"Hmmn." Vegeta nodded. "Of course."

"Alright. When I am done, we can talk about it, alright?" she said, looking him in the eye.

"Absolutely. Come find me in my quarters. We do have much to discuss. I will prepare us some drinks and you can change into something more comfortable." He nodded, turning away abruptly, leaving her standing in the hallway alone.

 _What did he mean by "something more comfortable?"_ She wondered to herself with a shrug, heading into her small room and shutting the doors. They obviously had to figure out the boundaries of this relationship they had. She was so confused.

Bulma turned on the shower and stepped in, relishing in the feeling of the warm water. _I_ _s it a relationship he wants with me?_ She wondered to herself, lathering up her hair. After Toma had left them alone, he boldly walked up to her and had kissed her within an inch of her life. Her stomach did flips and she felt her body grow warm just thinking about it. She had never been kissed with such intensity. Not even by Yamcha. What did that mean? They barely knew each other! What kind of relationship could they have if he was a prince? Surely they had rules of hierarchy there. She was just a slave. And an alien slave to boot. So what kind of future could they really have together? She just didn't know. She didn't think she would ever actually see him again so she had entertained all sorts of silly fantasies. But now that her fantasy of him returning and taking her away with him had come true, she really wasn't sure what to expect; especially that now since they had reached the ship he hadn't touched her once and he was acting somewhat distant.

 _I guess I'm going to find out soon enough._ She thought, stepping out of the shower and starting on her make-up and drying her hair. She still wasn't sure what he meant by wearing something "More Comfortable." Did he actually mean that she should wear something comfortable? Or did he mean that she should wear something sexy? She contemplated that the whole time she was getting ready in the bathroom.

_**In the meantime…** _

"Kakarott!" Vegeta bellowed from down the hall.

"Hey, Vegeta." Kakarott said with a smile. He wasn't expecting him to be back anytime soon. "What's up?"

"Do we have any more wine?" Vegeta asked.

"I think so. Check the back storage room." Kakarott said with uncertainty. He didn't drink ever. "If not, then Raditz and Nappa probably polished it all off."

Vegeta grumbled something unintelligible and stomped off. "Do not disturb me. I will be in my quarters with the Woman." He called over his shoulder.

Kakarott grinned to himself. He was glad they had gone back for her. He still wasn't sure why, but he was anxious to find out.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Vegeta returned from the back storage room with a few bottles of wine and went to his private quarters. He straightened it up a bit and poured himself a glass. He felt stupid being so nervous. He wasn't sure if he should make a move on the Woman or wait? He knew it was his right to do whatever he wanted. He did own her now, she was his property. His father had kept many concubines since his mother had passed. He knew they were at his beck and call at all times. Why should she be any different? She should be grateful. He got her out of that place.

For some reason he didn't want to just jump all over her once she walked in. Well, he did. But something was holding him back and he wasn't sure what. It was making him feel very frustrated. What was taking her so long?

As if she had read his mind, there was a soft knock on his door. Vegeta leaped up and opened the door. There she stood. Her hair was still damp and she had pulled it up in a loose bun on top of her head. There were wavy tendrils falling around her face, framing it nicely. Her makeup was minimal. She looked very fresh and rejuvenated; not at all over done. She had chosen to wear a pair of black silk pajama bottoms that fit loosely but were still flattering and her top was a tight spaghetti straps tank top with a v-neck that showed off just enough cleavage to be sexy yet was still modest at the same time. It fit snugly in the bust and down to her hips, showing off her tiny waist. All in all, she still looked stunningly beautiful even though she was dressed down comfortably.

Bulma assessed the look the Prince gave her and sighed inwardly in relief at his reaction. He didn't seem to mind how she was dressed. He didn't know, of course, but she had opted to wear a sexy bra and thong set under her clothes. Just in case this occasion called for it.

"Come in," Vegeta choked out, moving to the side of the door frame so she could enter his room. It was much larger than hers, of course. There was a large bed with black satin sheets, a small sitting area with a huge black couch and a full bathroom and small kitchen. The carpet was a dark royal blue. "These are my personal quarters."

"Very nice!" Bulma said with a nod, genuinely impressed.

Vegeta, suppressing the urge to throw her over his shoulder and dump her on his bead right that second, walked over to the table by the couch and poured the Woman a glass of wine and offered it to her.

"Thank you," She said with a shy smile. She still wasn't sure what he expected of her. She opted to take a seat on the couch and thought to go from there. "So?" she asked, looking up at him.

"So." Vegeta replied, still not having any idea what to say to her. He was getting really annoyed with himself. With a heavy sigh he sat down next to her on the couch, almost close enough that they were touching, but not quite. She could feel his body heat.

"Thank you for getting me out of there," Bulma started. "It really wasn't that bad. Toma was really good to me, but I'm sure if enough time had passed, I would have had to do things there that I really didn't want to do."

Vegeta nodded. Why was she telling him all this?

"So, why did you come back for me?" She asked. She was dying to know.

Vegeta turned and looked at her. Her blue eyes shining back at him. He was so fascinated by their depths. They were so big and blue. "It's complicated," He said, remembering she had asked him a question.

"I'm glad you did," She said with a shy smile. "But I'd still really like to know why? You're a Prince. I'm just an alien hostage."

"I," Vegeta sighed. He really didn't know how to tell her what he felt. He couldn't even explain it to himself what he felt and why."I couldn't get you out of my head." He blurted out before thinking. It was the truth; somewhat.

Bulma smiled. "I couldn't stop thinking about you too."

Vegeta nodded; happy that he had obviously affected her as much as she had him. _What the hell._ He thought to himself as he turned to her and kissed her. Gently at first. As the minutes went by, he deepened the intensity. He cupped the side of her cheek and continued to kiss her. It took her a moment before she surrendered and opened her mouth to let his tongue explore her mouth.

It didn't take long before they had slid down the length of the couch, still kissing. Their lips moving together in a perfect rhythm as they let each other explore the other. Vegeta steadied himself up with one arm, not wanting to crush her with his weight; she was so delicate. Bulma reached up and ran her hand through his thick spiky hair. It was much softer than she had thought it would be. She tried to pull him closer to her but couldn't.

It was Bulma who finally broke their intense kiss. She needed air. Vegeta continued to kiss her along her jaw line and started working down to her neck.

"Vegeta," she moaned. She was loving every minute of this, but it was just too intense for her. This was moving way to fast. Part of her was telling her to be careful and not go further. The other part was screaming at her to continue. "Vegeta, please."

"Hmmm," Vegeta replied, kissing back up to her jaw again. "Please what, Woman?" he growled hoarsely into her ear.

A shiver ran up her spine. She wanted this to never end, but she needed to find out why she was really here before going any further with him. "Please stop." She moaned back with great difficulty. She didn't really want him to stop, she just needed things to slow down a little bit.

To her surprise, he stopped. He looked down at her with an unreadable expression. He kissed her chastely on the lips and sat up, away from her so she could sit up.

"I'm sorry," She said, suddenly feeling very silly. What was she thinking? She had an incredibly sexy prince on top of her wanting to ravage her. She shook her head trying to think straight again. "I just need this to slow down a bit, is all."

Vegeta nodded. What had he been thinking? He shouldn't have come on to the Woman like that. "It is fine." He said, taking his glass of wine and offering her more, which she accepted.

"I just wanted to find out from you why I'm here. Why me?" Bulma asked, sipping her wine. She was still trying to catch her breath and lower her heart rate.

"What do mean 'why you'?" He asked in confusion.

"There were so many beautiful girls there at the club. Why me? You could have chosen any one of them to like that your friend could have picked for you that night."

"I don't know. Your hair and eyes are very unusual. I never met anyone with your coloring before," Vegeta answered honestly. "Then when I actually met you and we spoke that evening, you surprised me with your intelligence and knowledge. You weren't the usual tavern wench."

"So you did feel something that night." Bulma stated. She knew it hadn't been her imagination.

"I must have. I couldn't stop thinking of you from the time I left." Vegeta nodded. He couldn't believe he had admitted that to her a second time that evening. "Then when I made it back home, my father had a council meeting in which there is an issue of moving a large sum of weapons from our planet to another in such a way as to not draw attention to ourselves. I thought of your capsulation technology you told me about."

"Oh." Bulma replied. Not sure if she should be flattered or offended. Is that why he was making out with her? Was he actually attracted to her or was he just trying to use her for her knowledge?

Vegeta noticed her abrupt change in demeanor. He knew what she was thinking. "I don't want to use you." He said quickly. "I mean, I do. I want your knowledge and technology. It could help us in our fight against the Icejin. You could be a part of that. There will be a war soon enough."

"And what would be in it for me?" She asked. "Once I help you, that is. IF I decide to help you."

"Woman, I just spent a great deal acquiring you. You will help me." Vegeta growled. How dare she even think about _not_ helping him!

"Alright, I'll help you but again, what's in it for me?" She argued, not shrinking away from him.

"As in? I do not understand your point. You are my property, you do as I say."

"Exactly. So once I've shared everything I know with you and help you, what will you do with me? Will you just kill me when I'm of no use to you?" she asked. She had to know.

"Why would I kill you?" Vegeta asked. When had he suggested that or given the woman that impression?

"When you don't need me any longer, what is to become of me?" Bulma rephrased, taking note of his shocked expression.

"I don't know, Woman. It wasn't my intent on killing you," He said, getting irritated. "I told our head scientist about you and he is very intrigued. He wants to meet you and work with you."

Bulma thought about that for a second. "If I help you and you win this war on these creatures, can you set me free?" She asked, knowing the odds weren't in her favor, but not seeing the harm in throwing that out there. He seemed to have been honest with her up until this point.

"I'll consider it," Vegeta said after a long pause. "There is still much to fill you in on."

Bulma yawned, sleepiness setting in. "Alright." She agreed. "Tomorrow though?"

"Yes. I will let you know everything tomorrow." Vegeta agreed.

Bulma wasn't sure whatever possessed her, but she slid over on the couch next to him. She took his left hand into her right hand and laced her fingers through his and examined his large hand and giggled to herself. His hands were so big compared to hers! She rested her head on his shoulder as she had that first night they met, and closed her eyes.

Vegeta watched her. She was a bit of a strange woman, but he liked her. He looked at her small hand resting in his. It crossed his mind at how small and delicate it was by comparison to his. It would take no effort on his part to crush it if he wanted to. The thought disturbed him. He knew that he had to be very careful around her if he didn't want to hurt her.

He turned and looked at her again and noticed she had fallen asleep. Again! What was with this woman and falling asleep on him? He wondered. He decided that now was a good time to go to bed. They would be reaching the dead planet tomorrow at some point.

Not wanting to wake the sleeping woman, he gently picked her up and laid her on his bed. Once he changed out of his armor and into a pair of shorts that resembled boxer shorts, he crawled into bed next to her and pulled the covers over them.

He laid there for a minute. He had never slept with anyone else in his bed before. It was strange. The woman smelled good too. He just wanted to be near her. Without thinking he put his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him so that they were spooning. He liked how she felt in his arms. He lay there with her quietly as he thought of their short evening together. _Thank goodness she stopped me when she had._ He thought to himself as he remembered their very intense make out session. A few minutes longer and he wasn't sure he would have been able to stop. A part of him wished she hadn't stopped him.

Bulma stirred a little as she felt his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She felt safe. _Oh no, did I fall asleep on him again?_ She thought to herself, suddenly very aware of her surroundings and the close proximity he was in relation to her. "Sorry, I fell asleep." She murmured to him.

She felt him exhale on her neck, obviously smirking at her. "I'm not sure if I should start taking that personally or not." He joked.

"No, I just had a long evening before you even showed up and we left." She explained. She shifted a little in his arms, trying to face him. The room was so dark; she could just barely make out the outline of his face. She touched the side of his face, running her hand down his cheek and feeling his strong jaw line before settling her hand on the side of his neck. She tilted her face up towards his and kissed him on his lips. "Thank you." She whispered to him.

"Hmmn." He replied. He let her kiss him again, unsure of how to play things with her. He let her take the initiative. She ran her hand up and through his hair again, loving the texture of it; pulling him closer to her. He allowed it and positioned himself above her, all the while kissing her back. Again, he was very careful not to put his full weight on her.

Bulma continued to kiss him. She could kiss him all night. She slowly brought a leg up around his hip in an effort to draw him even closer to her, but she couldn't get him to move. She giggled at him. "I don't want to crush you," He mumbled into her neck.

"I don't think you would." She replied, running both her hands through his hair.

"I am from a race of superior strength. You are delicate and breakable by comparison," He replied, looking down at her. "I could very easily break you in half without trying."

"Good thing I trust you." She said, playfully nipping his chin.

"Hmmn." He replied, capturing her lips again with his. "And why is that?"

"I don't know," She replied. "For some reason, I just feel very safe when I am around you."

"You shouldn't be so quick to trust," He said, taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers. "Many males from my planet would have taken advantage of you."

"Yet you haven't," she said, touching his cheek with her other hand.

"I told you the night we first met, Woman. You need not fear me."

"Hence maybe the reason I trust." She said trying to look up at him. The room was too dark for her to be able to see his eyes.

He leaned in and kissed her again; exploring her mouth with his tongue. As he continued to kiss her, he put a little more weight on her as he relaxed and began to slowly grind against her. Bulma moaned a little; kissing him back with just as much passion, completely lost in the moment. It wasn't until he slipped a hand up through her top that she realized how far things had gone so quickly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him, breaking their kiss.

"Woman, make up your damned mind," Vegeta growled.

"I'm so sorry." She breathed again.

"Well, your really trying my self control." He said, rolling off of her for the second time that evening.

"I haven't done this before," Bulma confessed, suddenly feeling very stupid. She was ever thankful that he hadn't just decided to take advantage of her, but she didn't want him to think she was just teasing him. "I want to. I just think we are moving too fast."

Vegeta chuckled to himself. "Neither have I," he admitted to her. "Get some sleep." He growled. "We have a long day tomorrow before heading back to Vegetasei."

"Alright," she said, turning over again to try and sleep, her heart still racing. "I'm still sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Forget it." Vegeta grumbled, wrapping his arms around her waist again, breathing in her scent. He was too wired to sleep after that, but thought he'd at least stay with her until she fell asleep. Then he would go and train for the rest of the night to work off his frustration. He couldn't believe he had lost control of himself like that.

Bulma settled into his warm embrace, still feeling safe, but feeling terrible for allowing herself to get carried away like that with him. What was she thinking? She still barely knew him. She knew she was extremely lucky. He could have easily taken advantage of her, not that she could really blame him if he had. She had instigated it. Maybe it was because of his inexperience that he hadn't pushed her to continue on? She didn't know, but she was thankful.

As her heart and mind began to finally settle down, she drifted off to sleep in just a few minutes. It wasn't long before Vegeta fell asleep as well.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 4** _

Vegeta had been awake for almost an hour now. He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep so quickly; especially after all the fooling around he and Bulma had done last night. He still was holding her close to him. It had been quite a few years since he had held a girl close.

Vegeta sighed heavily and closed his eyes tightly, willing the memory of it to go away. He was the only one there; just him and the Woman, and Kakarott somewhere within the confines of the ship. If that clown even thought of taking her from him, he'd be a dead clown before the thought even reached fruition. He pulled her even closer to him and wrapped his tail around her waist subconsciously without even realizing it.

What was he going to do? He kept asking himself. Now that he had the Woman, he was only now starting to realize all the complications that would come with this. His father wasn't going to let him keep her and he certainly wasn't going to allow her to work in the science wing with Bardock either. It would be a scandal! He thought of fixing her a place somewhere for her to work in private. Somewhere away from the palace and secluded, but he knew she wouldn't be safe outside the confines of the palace. Rape was still something fairly common among his race. She wouldn't stand a chance the second another male caught sight of her. He thought of sending Kakrott with her. He trusted him; but that would look too suspicious. His father would wonder why he was sending his First Lieutenant away. He didn't trust Raditz or Nappa to look after her for any length of time before their lust won out over common sense. He smirked to himself at that last thought. He was one to talk. He had let lust win out over common sense where this female was concerned.

He remembered her question last night. _"Why me?"_ she had asked. In truth, he had asked himself that a thousand times over the last hour. Hell, he had kept on asking himself that their whole trip back to that damned Vegas planet. He didn't know. All he knew was that he was drawn to her and didn't want to leave her. He wanted her around. It was even more than that. He had to have her, and possess her. Yet he could tell from the way she carried herself with such confidence, she would never allow anyone to possess her. She was her own person. Maybe that was the drawing card? She was so fragile and delicate and yet mentally, he could tell she was one of the strongest individuals he had ever met, not counting the obvious intelligence she had.

She had told him briefly about how she had come to the tavern. Most people would have allowed themselves to be broken after something as traumatic as that. Not her. She seemed to see it as an adventure and while it may not have been the most ideal situation for her, she went with it. He had seen how excited she was to come with him. Why had she trusted him so as to come with him, no questions asked? For all she knew he could have been an evil prince, not a savior. So many people this side of the galaxy feared even his name. He had done many things while working directly under Frieza that he was ashamed of and he had built for himself quite the reputation. If she knew any of them, he was sure she wouldn't have kissed him as she had or fallen asleep in his embrace last night. He knew he would have to tell her at some point. She needed to know. He preferred to tell her himself rather than have to hear it from someone else. What if she did become afraid of him though?

On one hand, it didn't matter. She was his to do with as he pleased. She would just have to deal with it and get over it. On the other hand, he didn't want her to fear him. He knew he could never bring himself to hurt her. He had never had someone look at him the way she looked at him; with complete trust and admiration. After all the time he had spent wondering why her? He asked himself, _Why me?_ Sure he bought and paid for her. That was the way it was done on this side of the galaxy. However, she chose to come willingly. He could have had to carry her out kicking and screaming all the way to his ship but he didn't have to. She was more than willing to blindly trust him after only one night of meeting. He thought it was strange. He didn't trust anyone.

He felt her stir slightly. She was waking up.

Bulma tried to stretch a little as she felt sleep leaving her. She hadn't slept so well since she had been taken from her home. She tried again to stretch, but found she couldn't. There was a thick pair of arms around her waist. She smiled sleepily as she remembered where she was and who she was with. _So it wasn't a dream. A prince did come and take me away._ She thought to herself and then gave herself a mental slap for being so cheesy.

She noted how tightly he was holding her. She had to admit she was flattered, but it did worry her a little. He was holding her so tight you'd think he was afraid someone was going to take her from him. She dismissed the thought and with some effort was able to turn to look at him. He was awake.

"Hello." She said to him, stifling a yawn. She didn't want to expose him to her morning breath.

"Hello." He replied looking down at her and releasing his grip a bit so that she would be more comfortable. He hoped she hadn't noticed the vice grip he had around her. Now he felt dumb.

"I haven't slept that well in a while." She said, looking up at him, trying to make conversation. She was still feeling embarrassed about the previous night.

"Hmmn. Good." He said, still looking at her in wonder. He couldn't believe that she seemed so comfortable in his arms. He was even surprised with himself. He usually didn't like anyone invading his personal space. He didn't mind having her close to him.

She tilted her head up and kissed him on the cheek. He didn't respond, remembering last night's outcome. He didn't want to be left in that predicament again. If the Woman wanted to wait, then he'd wait; but no more fooling around. It only pissed him off.

"So?" she asked, noticing that he hadn't reciprocated. "What's on the agenda for today? You said you'd fill me in."

"We are heading to a planet we purged just before I met you, actually." He said, glad she seemed to take the hint and glad to finally have something to take his mind off of obsessing about what he was going to do with her once he got home. It was giving him a headache. "I found what seems to be a very rare element there. It may be of some use to us in building ships and equipment and such. We are going back to retrieve it and bring it back to the science and technology department."

"Okay," She said with a nod. That sounded interesting. "What do you mean by "planet we purged"? She asked.

"We went to negotiate with the inhabitants and we failed to make an agreement, so we wiped out them and their entire civilization. The only reason it still stands is because I found something that may be of use to us and wanted to investigate its potential. Otherwise, it would have been destroyed along with everything else. It is just a dead rock at this point; of no use to anyone. Once we take what we need today, we will blow it up." Vegeta explained, carelessly, not even thinking.

Bulma thought about that for a second. "So that's what you do? You destroy races and civilizations weaker than you if they don't agree to what you want?"

"That basically sums it up, yes." Vegeta said with a nod, slowly realizing where this conversation was going.

"So you guys are just a bunch of bullies then." Bulma concluded, sitting up to look down on him.

"Pardon me?" Vegeta asked, scowling.

"You're bullies. So because you have superior strength and technology, you go to other planets that don't and if they don't want to bow down and be your slaves, you wipe them out?" Bulma asked angrily.

"Basically. We don't always wipe them out. Sometimes we take slaves, as in your case. Though, that is highly uncommon. Sometimes we trade their resources in exchange for our protection from other planets. If we can't come to an agreement, then that's it. Why have them around? Sometimes after wiping out the inhabitants we sell the planet to another race for them to do as they wish with it." He knew this conversation wasn't going to end well, but he figured he might as well tell her himself. She had to find out some time that the universe wasn't all stars and rainbows.

"Okay, then you Saiyans are no better than those Icejin things that blew up my planet. They had no reason! I don't know what they wanted, but my planet didn't do anything to anyone to deserve what happened!" Bulma practically shouted at him. "I saw it! I saw them blow up my home. You cannot imagine what that feels like! As far as I'm concerned, you're no better than they are!"

Vegeta grabbed her by the neck and threw her back down on the bed, holding her down. "We are nothing like the Icejin." he growled dangerously.

"How so? Because from where I'm sitting, it sounds like you're the same to me," She replied boldly, tears starting to slide down her face and into her hair. "If I help you win this war, are you going to just turn around and do the same thing that they are doing because now your race happens to be the strongest?"

"I don't know. I do not know any other way of life. Frieza and the rest of the Icejin race enslaved our planet when I was a young boy. We purge the planets he tells us to and sometimes we are allowed to keep some of the spoils for ourselves as payment. That is all I know. But know this, Woman. We are nothing like those vermin lizards. We may purge a planet of its inhabitants once we have taken all their resources; but we do not torture and enslave. We destroy worlds and planets at their bidding, not of our own volition."

"Then why am I here? I'm technically enslaved to you now, aren't I?" Bulma asked, sadly, unable to stop this wave of emotion that came crashing to the surface.

"That's different." He replied.

"How is it different? You say your race doesn't enslave, yet you bought me, and seem to have no moral dilemma over it. I'll admit that I came willingly, though I know I also didn't have much choice. I know I can help you. But if I do, am I just helping one monster take over from another?"

"It is different. I do not treat you as a slave. Have I?" he asked, still angry, his eyes boring into hers; his hand still on her throat. Not tight enough to cause any damage, but firm enough to let her know he meant business.

"You haven't no," she agreed. "But.."

"Need I remind you that you put me in a very uncomfortable situation last night? Not once, but twice." He interrupted her. "If you were nothing more than a slave, I would have not given a damn about what you wanted or that you've never done such acts before. I would have simply taken what I wanted because as my slave I am entitled to it."

"And I appreciate your kindness. I did not mean to tease you. That was not my intent," She said, looking right back at him though, embarrassed for her actions last night. "However, you have no problem reminding me of the fact that I am enslaved to you. You did last night. And should I not do what you want me to, I'm sure you'll have no problem reminding me again."

"Then it is simple. Just do as I ask, and I will not treat you as a slave, Woman. I will bestow upon you riches and honor. I will protect you and treat you with respect, so long as you do as I ask. It's not difficult."

Bulma looked away from his penetrating gaze. This wasn't at all how she saw things turning out for them. She knew she should have known better. "I already said I would help you last night. I know that I obviously don't have a choice in the matter, but just so you know, I will do it because I want to. I want to help take down the Icejin for what they did to my planet." She said, giving up. "But I need to know something first."

"Hmmn?" Vegeta nodded.

"If you stumbled on my planet after you won this war if it was still standing, would you needlessly destroy it?" she asked, even though she knew she may not like his answer. She needed to know.

"Look, I don't know what happened to your pathetic planet. I never even heard of it until the night I met you. So I don't know what it was they wanted, what they were looking for or why they destroyed it." He said, loosening his hold on her neck and putting his head down in frustration. "You are right, I do not know how it feels, but unfortunately for me, that is a way of life. That is the way it has been done. Only the strong survive. There is no room in the universe for weaklings." He said looking back at her, knowing it wasn't the answer she was hoping for.

"And I'm from a race of supposed weaklings so therefore don't have the right to exist?" She asked, calming down a bit. She had stopped crying, but her eyes still blazed with anger.

"No," was all he could come up with. "You have obvious intelligence."

"But if you hadn't been forced to spend an evening with me, you would have never come to know that." She argued back.

"You are right. And had my race come to your planet and found you, you would have more than likely been raped to death if not taken and sold." He replied harshly. "You have no idea how lucky you are!"

"Then why don't I feel lucky?" she asked him. "I have so many days I wish I had died with my planet. When I met you, I found some hope. And then by some miracle you decided to come for me and get me out of there. Who knows how long until I would have been forced in to doing things that I don't want to do? I know I am lucky to have made it this far, but I dont feel lucky. If I help you, and it turns out I'm only helping out another race of tyrants, I won't be able to live with myself. How is that being lucky?"

He was starting to get frustrated again. He just didn't understand what this girl was so upset about? He hadn't destroyed her planet. Yet, she seemed to take it so personally that it had been destroyed. He had to admit, they probably would have done the same thing the Icejin had if they hadn't found any value in it. However, without the Icejin, there would be no Planet Trade Organization. "Woman, if you were to help, there is the slim chance things might change. We purge planets under Frieza's orders. Not of our own volition."

"So you're like mercenaries then. Doing a job."

"Exactly. I cannot promise anything. I do not know any other way of life other than purging the weak planets. So I do not know what we will do once the Icejin have been defeated. I can only say that we are not a greater threat than they are. I can promise you that."

"I guess I'll just have to take your word for it." She said with a sigh. She was already exhausted again from her emotional outburst.

"Help us. Help _me._ And I will make your life worth living." He said, almost feeling bad that he had gotten her to admit such a thing. It bothered him that she felt that way. He knew that he could probably never take her as his mate, but he knew he would want to keep her around in some capacity. She was smart. Maybe she could be an advisor to him of sorts. Help him be a better king where his father had failed and give him a different point of view. He would work out the details as he went along. What he did know was that if she helped him, he would reward her and keep her wanting for nothing.

"I will. Just don't make me regret it. Okay?" She said, giving in, still looking sad.

Vegeta leaned over her and kissed her chastely on the lips and went back to his original position with her lying loosely in his arms. "We need to get up. We will be there within a few hours. I will train for a little while before we go." He said casually.

"Alright, I'm going to take a shower." She replied, still withdrawn. This was like a shock to her all over again. The Prince that she thought she had been falling in love with was just as bad a monster as the creatures that had destroyed her planet. And if he personally wasn't a monster, which he obviously wasn't, the rest of his race sounded like they were.

She moved away from him and tried to crawl out of bed when she noticed a furry brown appendage wrapped firmly around her waist. "Ummm. What the hell is that?!" She exclaimed.

Vegeta hadn't even realized he had wrapped his tail around her. He chuckled. "That's my tail."

"What? You have a tail?!" she asked, not sure if she should be grossed out or fascinated by this new development. She looked down on her waist and started to stroke it.

"Woman, don't." Vegeta growled, promptly unwrapping it from her waist. "Not unless you want to finish what we started last night." He warned.

It was so soft. She liked the feel of it. "I never noticed it before," She said as she watched him wrap it around his own waist. "I mean, I noticed it, but I assumed it was a belt." She blushed a little bit at his reaction to touching it; she would have to remember that in the future if she found herself ever again in an intimate position with him.

"It is the source of our greatest power, yet it is our only weakness." He replied, knowing that he probably should not have divulged that information. He may have alienated the Woman now that she knew what he did. "What?" he asked, noticing that she was looking at him funnily.

"It's just weird. That you have a tail is all." She said.

Vegeta frowned. "Well, maybe it's weird that you don't have a tail." He shot back, glad to see some humor returning to her after their not so nice conversation.

"Oh yea? And why's that?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Seeing as you're one of the few species I've ever met on this side of the galaxy that doesn't have a tail, I'd say you are the strange one around here."

"Well, if you had ever come to my planet, everyone would think you're strange." She said, heading to the door. That was something she would have to get used to.

Vegeta watched her leave and then he got up to change into a navy blue training suit. He headed out of his room and down the hall towards the small training room. He hoped Kakarott was there. He needed to hit someone. Badly.

He walked in and there was Kakarott doing one armed pushups. "Hey, Vegeta!" He greeted.

"Hmmn." He said, starting to do a warm up himself.

"How was your evening?"

"Fine." Vegeta snapped at him, starting a set of sit-ups.

"I heard you two arguing this morning." Kakarott said, sheepishly, not sure if he should bring that up or not. It had been the reason why he'd gone to train so early. "Everything okay?"

"It's none of your business! The woman has a problem with what we do. That is her problem. Not mine." Vegeta growled.

"What's wrong with what we do? What did you say that made her upset?" Kakarott asked.

"I told her that we were going to a planet we purged a few weeks back to rid it of its resources and she got mad because that's that happened to her stupid planet, only it got blown up by the Icejin." Vegeta replied continuing his sit-ups.

Kakarott paused for a minute from his pushups. "Well, if that happened to her planet, then I could see why that might be a sensitive subject for her, Vegeta."

"Shut up!" Vegeta growled back. That's all her needed; Kakarott making him feel bad. "She had to find out some time."

"Okay, but I'm sure there could have been a nice way of putting it to her." Kakarott said, nodding. She did need to find out. "I know how you can be, Vegeta."

"There IS no nice way of putting it, you idiot! Now she's afraid of me." He sighed. He didn't know why the thought of that bothered him more than he wanted it to.

"Well of course, Vegeta!" Kakarott said, shaking his head. Good grief the guy was clueless!

"Well what would you have me say then?" Vegeta nearly shouted at him.

"I don't know," Kakarott shrugged, still sitting on the floor. "I'm sure that's still a really sensitive subject for her is all."

"I'm sure she will get over it," Vegeta replied, getting up. "Are we going to spar or what, Kakarott?" he asked irritably. He needed to get last night and their argument from this morning out of his mind.

"Absolutely!" Kakarott replied with a smile, standing up and getting into a fighting stance.

Seconds later the two Saiyans were sparing ferociously concentrating only on out besting the other.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Bulma had showered and changed her clothes into a nice pair of jeans and a tank top. She was hungry and started to wonder the ship trying to find where the food was kept. She finally stumbled into a very small kitchen. There wasn't much she recognized for food there, but she did find some meat and eggs. She quickly began to start frying them up. She made herself a small plate of eggs and what she thought resembled ham.

She knew the two Saiyans were sparring, so she decided that maybe they would like something to eat after their session.

She was almost done when Vegeta and Kakarott strolled into the kitchen.

"I thought I smelled food!" Kakarott said with a huge smile.

"Well, I really needed to eat something and this is all I could find and then I decided to make extra since I knew you guys were working out. I hope its okay." She said.

"Oh, absolutely!" Kakarott gushed, elbowing Vegeta. Any girl that could or would cook was perfect in his eyes. He began to pile a plate up. "There just may not be enough." He mumbled through mouthfuls.

Vegeta rolled his eyes at his companion and began to grab a plate for himself.

"That's no problem. I can make some more." Bulma replied, heading into the fridge to grab some more meat and eggs for the hungry Saiyans. "How was your work out?" she asked, turning to Vegeta. He hadn't spoken a word to her since they'd entered the kitchen and she was worried he was still angry with her.

"It was satisfactory." He replied, finally taking a seat and digging in. He smirked at Kakarott. He had landed a few good ones on the younger Saiyan.

"It was good!" Kakarott agreed, shoveling more eggs into his mouth.

Bulma continued to cook for the two hungry Saiyans. "So, when are we arriving on that planet?" She asked.

"Probably within the next two hours. I'm going to need those capsules of yours." Vegeta replied, not looking up from his plate. He was avoiding her. He was still upset at her for telling him that he was as bad as the Icejin.

"Why do you need my capsules for?" She asked, turning around from the stove to look at him.

"I want a demonstration to see how much they can hold." he replied, still not looking at her.

Bulma sighed, knowing she had little say in the matter anyway, "Alright, I'll get a few ready. I just need to re-arrange some of my things and free a few of them up. They're all yours."

"Excellent." Vegeta said, gathering his plate and putting it into the sink and stalking out of the kitchen. "I'm going to shower. I'll see you both when we are ready to land."

Kakarott nodded and helped himself to more eggs and fried meat that Bulma had just placed on the table. He looked at her and pushed one of the plates towards her, silently offering her more to eat if she wanted. Bulma just shook her head and sighed.

"He cares about you, you know," Kakarott said between mouthfuls. "He'll never show it or tell you. But he does. And don't ever tell him I told you that either. I'll deny it."

"How would you know?" Bulma asked.

"I know him better than anyone," He replied. "The more he cares for someone, the further he pushes them away."

"Well that's stupid." She said with a frown.

"It is," Kakarott agreed. "But in our culture emotional attachments are seen as weaknesses."

"How can caring for someone be seen as a weakness?" She asked.

"Well, we have lots of enemies. If someone were to find out that he cared for you, they could use you to hurt him, for example." Kakarott explained. "If he keeps you at arms length, no one will know. But know this, if he cares for you, he will protect you with his last breath."

"So you guys have enemies because of purging planets for the Icejin?" She asked, trying to piece everything together.

"Yes. It's what we have to do to keep the peace with them. They came and enslaved our planet. In return, we purge planets for them."

"Yea, Vegeta told me all about that. So, why don't you guys just over throw these Icejin?" she asked.

"We're trying," Kakarott said with a shrug, still eating. "That's why Vegeta wants your help. They may not all be as strong as us, but they're very smart and are way more technologically advanced than we are. Especially Lord Frieza, their leader. He is much stronger than we are and highly intelligent."

"I don't mind helping," Bulma said, starting to clear the table of all the empty plates. "I just don't want to save the universe from one tyrant only to give it to another one."

"I don't think that would happen." Kakarott said, shaking his head. "I mean, right now, maybe. King Vegeta is a tyrant of sorts. He will probably just pick up where Frieza left off in terms of galactic domination. But Vegeta, though he comes across as mean, is not his father."

"How so?" She asked. She wanted to learn as much as she could about the Prince and the race that she now had to work for so she could use as much as she could to her advantage.

"Well, Vegeta and I were sent away together to learn under Frieza by our King. Actually, Vegeta was. I was just sent along to accompany him. The things we experienced together were horrible. We were treated worse than slaves. We were beaten and abused. Vegeta wasn't always cold like he is now. He took the brunt of Frieza's abuse," Kakarott explained, shaking his head. "He hates Frieza and the rest of the whole Icejin race with a passion you could not even imagine."

"Yeah, I got that impression. I kinda accused him of being just as bad as they are." She said, now feeling really bad for saying that to him. He was right, she had no idea.

"Oh, you should not have said that." Kakarott said seriously, looking at her. "We may purge planets for them, but we are nothing like them."

"That's what he said. I'm sorry. I didn't know. My planet was needlessly destroyed by the Ice-jin. When he told me about you guys purging planets, I got upset.."

"It's alright. Knowing Vegeta, he didn't explain it with your predicament in mind. He just told it like it was." Kakarott said with a shrug. If he knew Vegeta as well as he thought he did, he knew he was probably very insensitive about telling her about it. "But I have faith that when he is king, he won't allow things to continue the way they have been."

Bulma nodded, still feeling really bad, it had never occurred to her that he had been through anything, she just assumed because he was a prince that his whole life had been care free and everything had always been handed to him. Little did she know.

"I can't speak for King Vegeta. But I know that Vegeta will make things better once he takes the throne from his father. He would never want anyone to go through what he did. No one should." Kakarott continued.

"In which case, I'll be happy to help." She said with a small smile.

"Just give him some slack and be patient with him." Kakrott said, looking at Bulma. She really was beautiful. He could understand why Vegeta was initially taken by her. "He does care, he just can't show it. He doesn't know how to and please don't ever tell him I revealed even this much to you. He would be devastated. Not even his own father knows half of the things that went on."

"Oh my, I'm sorry. I won't tell him." She agreed. She was just glad he had given her some insight on the surly Prince. She wasn't sure how to take him. "I'll be more careful from now on."

"You don't have to be careful. Just be mindful. If he ever does express anything like affection, don't exploit it." He replied. "You're the first girl he's expressed any interest in, in years. Don't make him regret it."

"I won't. I don't know him well, but I do know that I care for him, or I'm starting to. For the most part, he's been very respectful." She replied, shaking her head. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. He'd been the second person, after Toma, to even care to help her and not take advantage of her. "What happened with the last girl? Was it because his father picked another for him?"

"No." Kakarott said shaking his head and scowling and lowering his voice, knowing that what he was about to tell her would be crossing the line. "The first girl he ever cared about was years ago when we were working for Frieza. Once they found out, she was taken from him and raped and murdered right in front of him. He's never so much as looked at another girl until he saw you."

Bulma nodded slowly, beginning to understand somewhat. "That's terrible. How old was he?"

"About fifteen I think?" Kakarott said. "He tried to hide it for as long as he could, but once Frieza and his entourage found out, they made sport of going after her just to get to him."

"Why?" Bulma asked. "Why would someone want to do something like that?"

"Jealousy." Kakarott replied.

"Jealous of what? That he's a Prince?" Bulma asked.

"No. Something much worse, I'm afraid." Kakarott said, knowing that if Vegeta ever found out he had revealed such information, he'd have his head. "Lord Frieza was jealous of Vegeta's attentions to another."

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked, not sure she wanted to know. "You mean like he had feelings for Vegeta?"

Kakarott nodded. "Frieza is a sick individual. Once he has an obsession, that's it."

"Oh my," Bulma said, covering her hand with her mouth and sat there absorbing everything Kakarott just told her. "But it must be fine now that you guys were released from his service, right?"

"It was because we weren't directly under him anymore. But he's been desperate to have Vegeta back in his service ever since. He's never given up in trying to get him back. If it were up to Vegeta, he'd never go back." Kakarot replied, still speaking as quietly as he could.

"It's not up to Vegeta?" Bulma asked.

"It is and it isn't. If Frieza puts enough pressure on the King, his father will make sure Vegeta goes back in Frieza's service to keep the peace. Or that's always been his excuse for sending him away in the first place." Kakarott said. "He doesn't know much of what happened to him or myself."

"You were abused too?" Bulma asked. This was all too horrible for her to imagine. How could anyone do such a thing to young children? She was feeling now, more than ever, the need to help Vegeta and Kakarott accomplish their goal towards destroying this Lord Frieza and anything to do with this horrible race. How many others had suffered at their hands she wondered?

Kakarott simply nodded. "I was, but not nearly as bad as Vegeta." Was all he'd say.

"I'm sorry," She replied, not knowing what to say. What do you say to something like that?

"Don't show pity." Kakarott said, standing up and putting some plates in the sink. "Whatever has happened to us, while unfortunate, has only served to make us stronger warriors."

"I could understand that," Bulma nodded. "Not allowing yourselves to be victims."

"Exactly." Kakarott said, looking serious now. "Listen, I like you. And I know Vegeta does too. But you cannot let him know what I told you. He would see it as a personal betrayal. His own father doesn't even know what I just told you."

"I understand. I won't say anything, I promise." Bulma said, smiling at him. "Thank you though. That helps a lot; to know something about him, anyway."

Kakarott nodded. "That's the only reason why I even mentioned anything. I know this must be hard and you have a lot of questions. But I thought I would give you a little insight on Vegeta to help you. He needs someone good in his life; someone that won't take advantage of him for his position or because of his power. I don't know if you're that someone. But from the way I've seen Vegeta act since he met you two weeks ago, I believe you might be someone who might be good for him."

"I hope I am." Bulma nodded, feeling very overwhelmed. "I'll do my best. He certainly left an impression with me that first night we met. If he wants to pursue something, I'm more than open to it. But in the meantime, you have my guarantee that I will do everything I can to help you guys out; and not because I'm a slave, but because I want to."

"I know you will." Kakarott said with a childish smile. "Vegeta's a pretty good judge of character. If he chose you, it's because he saw something. Just be patient with him."

"I will. Thank you." Bulma said, blushing. It was nice to know that someone was on her side and to have some insight on this mysterious Saiyan Prince. She still couldn't believe how much he'd been through!

"I'm going to shower too before we have to head out." Kakarott said. "Thanks for breakfast! It was great!"

"You're welcome!" She said, starting to clean everything up. She couldn't believe how much Vegeta had been through. She thought she had been through the worst of the worst with being taken away and her planet being blown up in front of her and then being sold in an auction. Compared to what Kakarott just told her about what Vegeta had been through, that was nothing. And she had a feeling that what he had told her was only the tip of the ice berg.

She finished cleaning everything up and then headed to her room to free up a few capsules for them to use on this excursion they were going on. She wasn't sure how many they would need but she managed to free up four of them. If they needed more, she could free up one more. She only had six of them. And they mostly held clothes, make up and stuff for her ipod.

_**TWO HOURS LATER** _

Vegeta landed the ship and got out, walking on to the dead planet. He took a deep breath and exhaled, relishing the silence and peacefulness. He wished he could spend an entire week here; nothing but peace and quiet. He could collect his thoughts. Train to his heart's content. No interruptions from his father or useless committee meetings. No Asia following him around like a lost dog; just him and his surroundings. Complete solitude.

His silence was soon broken by Kakarott tripping and stumbling clumsily out of the ship and falling next to him. Vegeta turned and looked at him and rolled his eyes. Why was he constantly surrounded by idiots?

Bulma, by comparison, gracefully exited the ship and leaped off the ramp. "So, where's this mysterious metal we are supposed to be looking for?" She asked, surveying the land in front of her. It was an absolute disaster! There were broken buildings and bodies everywhere. It looked like an earthquake or a tornado or a bomb had hit this place. Had Vegeta and Kakarott and the other two guys that she had seen with them done this? She felt very weak and insignificant. It was a very sobering thought that only four men had done this to an entire planet.

"It shouldn't be far from here. I found most of it over there." Vegeta said, pointing to the right. He entered some coordinates into his scouter and nodded. "Yes. A few miles that way." he confirmed, pointing to the right again and levitating.

Kakarott levitated as well next to his Prince and the two started to fly in the direction Vegeta had indicated.

"Umm. Guys?" Bulma asked, still on the ground. "Am I supposed to just wait here or what? I can't fly."

"Seriously?" Vegeta scoffed. He had never met a race that couldn't fly in at least some capacity.

"If I could fly, do you think I'd still be down here?" Bulma shot back, agitated. What was his problem since this morning? He was still clearly pissed about something. "I can't very well climb across all this mess. Unless, of course, you want it to take me a week to get to your destination."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'll carry you." He said, lowering himself back to the ground and approaching her. He put an arm around her waist and lifted her up bridal-style and looked at her quickly. He still wanted to be angry at her for her horrible accusations that morning, but upon looking at her, found that he just couldn't. He admitted and reasoned that she couldn't know anything of how bad the Icejin really were by comparison. To her, it probably did sound the same.

Bulma looked back at him, savoring the close proximity again. Her stomach was doing flip flops. She didn't know what it was about him, but she was completely infatuated and drawn to him. She couldn't bring herself to be angry with him either. And knowing what she did after her conversation with Kakarott only made her want to get to know him better.

He tightened his grip on her slightly. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yea." She replied, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck. "Just don't drop me." She joked.

"Oh, please." Vegeta scoffed. "You're not that heavy."

With that, he leaped up into the air and took off in the direction of their destination. Kakarott smirked and followed. He was glad they seemed to be getting along again. He just hoped Buma didn't let on what he had told her about his Prince. He really didn't feel like spending the rest of this trip in the regeneration tank.

Bulma looked down from her place in Vegeta's arms. He was moving so fast that the ground was a mere blur. She knew she could have been afraid, but he had such a tight grip on her that she felt very safe. She decided to just relax and enjoy the feeling if him holding her close and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

Vegeta looked down at her for a second. What was it about her that as soon as he was close to her he felt his self control slipping? It really bothered him. He had never been that weak; especially where women were concerned. He quickly cleared his thoughts. They had a job to do. He would worry what to do or what not to do with the Woman when they got back to the ship. The thought made him smirk.

Within about a half hour, they made it to their destination and landed.

Vegeta put Bulma down gently, which surprised her. He still hadn't said too much to her, which was really bothering her. She wasn't sure what to do about it.

"There's a ton of it right down there in that fissure." He said, pointing it a large gaping hole in the ground. He pointed his finger and a laser-like beam fired from it, at the wall of grey. It took him a few minutes, but he was able to chisel out a huge chunk of it from the wall.

Bulma watched in amazement. She hadn't seen anything like that in her life.

Vegeta leaped into the fissure and brought up the large piece of metal. "Can you capsulate that?" He asked.

"Oh yea. That's easy. I could store more of it in one capsule than just that." Bulma nodded, reaching in her pocket for a capsule.

"Excellent." He replied. "Kakarott, go around and gather as much of this as you can and bring it back here." He said to his First Lieutenant.

"Alright!" Kakarott said and disappeared right before Bulma's eyes. She was shocked. Never before had she seen anyone with such unique talents!

"Wait here." Vegeta commanded and disappeared as well into the fissure in the ground.

Bulma was slightly nervous, being left alone. But figured since there was no one else there, what was there to worry about? She started to examine the piece of metal Vegeta had already brought up. It still had a ton of stone stuck to it that would have to be chiseled off. There was a corner where he had burnt it that didn't have rock on it and she noticed how malleable and flexible it was. Vegeta had mentioned maybe using it to improve their space crafts. She recalled the armor she saw him wearing. Sure this stuff he found was strong, but Vegea had just burned it with a laser and had been able to beak it that way. What if it could be used as a type of armor, being that it was extremely light weight and flexible? She smiled to herself. She might just have an idea. She was a genius after all!

After a few hours, Vegeta and Kakarott had returned with thousands of pounds worth of this metal. Bulma had delegated where they should put it in different piles. Once there were four piles, she advised them that her capsules most likely couldn't carry anymore. There was enough to make maybe four large ships out of this stuff, she reasoned if they didn't want to run with her idea of making armor out of it.

"Okay. You guys ready?" She asked, feeling cocky all of a sudden. It was her turn to show off to them. "Watch closely." She said, taking out four capsules. She tossed one down at each pile and the four huge piles of scrap metal all but disappeared, leaving only the four tiny capsules in their place.

The two Saiyans looked on with a look of confusion and disbelief on their faces. "See? What did I tell ya?" She said with a grin. "Beauty and brains all in one package!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "No modesty either." He grumbled back to her.

"Hey!" she objected. "I don't have to help you with this, you know!"

"You will if you know what's good for you." Vegeta replied, dryly, knowing she was only teasing him. "Alright. Lets head back."

Bulma placed the four capsules into her pockets for safe keeping and walked up to Vegeta again. He lifted her up like he had before and they headed back to their ship.

Once they boarded and left the planet, Vegeta set the coordinates for home.

"Are we going to destroy it?" Kakarott asked, referring to the planet.

"Yes. I am just waiting until we are a safe distance away." He replied.

"Please don't." Bulma said quietly behind him.

"Why not?" Vegeta asked, turning to look at her. "It's a sitting dead rock."

"Then why does it need to be destroyed? Just leave it." She replied. She knew it was dumb. He was right, it was of no use anymore.

"Because it was part of our job from the beginning." Vegeta replied.

"Well, just say you did. If it's dead and you say you destroyed it then why would anyone go looking for it to even know about its existence?" She asked.

Vegeta sighed heavily. "Alright. Fine." He grumbled.

"Thank you." Bulma replied with a smile.

"Hmmn." Vegeta grumbled.

"I'm going to take a nap." She announced and left the two Saiyans in the pilot chairs.

Vegeta sighed and entered the last coordinates and set the ship on auto pilot. He turned to leave and noticed Kakarott smirking at him. "Not a word." He grumbled, leaving the younger Saiyan and heading to his private quarters.

"I wasn't going to say anything!" Kakarott objected, putting his hands up in a surrender position. He thought it was funny was all. He had been right all along. The Prince was smitten over Bulma. He just hoped things wouldn't be too stressful once they reached Vegetasei. At least they had a week to spend together and figure things out.

-0-0-0-

After Bulma got up from her nap, she changed her clothes and headed out of her room and to the kitchen to try and scrounge up some dinner.

She remembered how much the two Saiyans ate that morning and decided that she might as well make lots of food. Unfortunately, there wasn't much she recognized and anything in boxes was written in a language she didn't know. She reached up in one of the cupboards and took out a box with what looked like rice on the front. She looked inside and sniffed it. Yup. Definitely rice. So she started boiling water up and looking for anything else to go with it. She found some spices and frozen meat, which she had no idea what kind of meat it was, but decided to defrost it anyway.

After about an hour, the meat was ready to be cooked. The rice was done.

Vegeta happened to stroll in. "What are you doing?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Trying to make us some dinner." She replied, turning around to look at him. He had startled her.

"Don't cook that." He said, pointing to the defrosted meat.

"Why not? It's meat, isnt it?" She asked. She was sure it was meat of some kind.

"Yes, but it tastes better raw." He said, taking a strip off the counter and eating it.

"Eewe!" Bulma squealed. "That's disgusting!"

"No it isnt. Why burn it and ruin the flavor?"

"Because eating raw meat makes you sick!" She exclaimed.

Vegeta shrugged. "Maybe for your weak digestive system."

"My digestive system is not weak!" She argued back, grabbing a strip for herself that she was still going to fry up. If they didn't want it cooked, then fine, but she wasn't going to eat anything uncooked.

"It must be, if you can't even consume a little raw meat." He challenged, liking how annoyed she was already getting over this. "How do you think we eat when we are out on a mission in the bush?"

"Umm. Build a camp fire and cook it? Even cave men, the must unintelligent beings of the first humans knew how to do that." She said, rolling her eyes. How barbaric!

"And risk having the enemy figure out where your camp is located?" He asked, leaning against the counter, getting closer to her.

"Well, this isn't an enemy camp, is it?" Bulma replied.

"True, it isn't. But why spoil yourself with luxuries you can do without when you never know at any moment when you may be stranded on enemy territory or in a situation where there are no amenities?" He explained.

"Okay but-'' Bulma started.

"You would allow yourself to starve, in such a case?" Vegeta interrupted, crossing his arms.

"Well, no. But-"

"But nothing. You should always condition yourself to be able to handle the worst case scenario." He replied. "Take nothing for granted."

"I agree. But there are other things to eat other than meat I'm sure." She argued. "In which case, I'd rather settle on plant life if I can't cook something."

"And on a foreign planet that is not your home, how do you know what plants are poisonous and which ones are not; hmm?"

"Well, how do you know you'll even find anything to hunt anyway, Hmmm?" She challenged.

"We are warriors. It is our job to hunt. There is always small prey, vermin, or aquatic life in a nearby pond that would suffice. All, just as good when eaten raw and less chance of getting poisoned than if you decide to eat something off of an unknown tree or bush."

Bulma sighed heavily. As much as she hated to admit it, he did have a point. "Well, I'm not in that situation. So I will be cooking my meal tonight, thank you very much."

Vegeta shook his head. "You spoiled Woman."

"That I may be, but I won't be eating anything raw."

"Well, if you ever happen to be in a position like that, know that none of us will be risking our necks so you can have a cooked meal." He said, still shaking his head at her.

"I don't get it though, I cooked up the meat this morning and you were fine with it." She said frowning and recalling the breakfast she'd made.

"I will eat cooked meat. I will eat raw meat. It matters little to me." Vegeta replied, reaching for another strip of raw meat. "But why should I weaken my body's resistance to it when I do not have to? For all I know, I may spend all next month in a situation where I cannot consume a cooked meal."

Bulma sighed again. "You're impossible." She said.

"No, I am practical. Never do anything that may decrease your chances of survival."

Bulma turned and looked at him for a long moment. He actually looked somewhat relaxed. His usual scowl wasn't as angry-looking as it usually was. "Speaking of decreasing your chances of survival," She said, changing the subject, "I had an idea for that metal you found."

Vegeta nodded, interested to see what she had come up with.

"Well, I do agree with you, it is strong and flexible. But you were still able to get through it with that laser beam technique that you did," She started. "Wouldn't that make it susceptible to damage if someone shot something at you?"

"Hmmn." He replied. "But there isn't a race of beings nearly as powerful as we are." He replied.

"Okay. But what if those Icejin things had like laser guns? I saw them when they came to my planet. They had either laser guns or did it like you did today. What good would the ship be to you if it's unable to sustain an attack like that?" She asked.

"What do you propose then, Woman?" He growled, slightly annoyed that his idea for ships was obviously not a good one.

"Armour and weapons." Bulma replied with a proud smile. She had been thinking about it for a while before she fell asleep. When she woke up, she had thought about it some more.

"If the metal is not good enough for a ship, why would we clothe ourselves with it?" He asked dryly.

"Well, that's a good question. But it is light weight and flexible so it could withstand hard physical blows. You could also line it with a fire retardant material that could deflect any heat, should someone shoot a laser thing at you." She replied.

"Couldn't we do that with a ship too?" Vegeta asked. It was a good idea.

"You could." she nodded. "I just think making armor with it would utilize it better. I mean, how many ships can you make? I estimated maybe four?"

"True." Vegeta nodded. "Hmmn. We will have to look into that when we get it back to Bardock."

"And as for weapons, we could build guns and swords with it." She continued. "They're light weight, so they wouldn't weigh a warrior down."

Vegeta nodded. He liked that idea, but he wasn't going to let on that he did. Not just yet, anyway. "I do not carry weapons around though."

"Okay. But some of your other soldiers might." She replied.

"Only low-ranking ones."

"Okay. So since they aren't as great as you, then why not give them an edge?" She asked.

"I guess." He shrugged.

"Awe, come on!" she whined. "I put a lot of thought into this! Okay I don't have the ins and outs figured out yet, but admit it, they're good ideas."

"Hmmn. They're not bad." Vegeta replied, trying to push her buttons. In honesty, he was impressed that she had come up with something so quick.

Bulma glared at him and went back to frying up her dinner. She had been really proud of her ideas. Okay, so they weren't the best ideas she had ever come up with, but she didn't think they were the worst either. She fumed silently, forgetting the Saiyan Prince beside her was watching her carefully.

Vegeta smirked to himself. She was very alluring when she was pissed off. He was tempted to throw her over his shoulder and take her back with him to his private quarters to help her blow off some steam. _Now that could make for some interesting entertainment._ He thought to himself.

"You're not used to anyone shooting down your ideas, are you?" He laughed, still watching her fume.

"They were good ideas! I don't know why you don't see that." She said, still not looking at him.

"I never said they weren't good ideas, but there is still a lot of work to be done. It's not that simple."

"I know that. I'm not dumb, you know." She said, rolling her eyes and glaring at him.

Vegeta chuckled. "We'll figure it out when we get to Vegetasei." He replied, not even wanting to think about going home. "Come here," he said, reaching for her hand and pulling her towards him.

Bulma looked at him suspiciously with a raised eyebrow and resisted for a second before allowing him to pull her into his embrace. She was still annoyed at him.

"Look," he said, looking at her. "Things aren't going to be easy for you once we arrive at Vegetasei. There are some things I need to warn you about before we get there." He said, gently rubbing up and down her arms.

Bulma shivered at his touch and leaned in closer to him, quickly forgetting why she was mad at him in the first place. "Okay." She nodded. She was very curious as to what to expect once they got there.

"Finish eating and come to my quarters." He said, stepping away from her and heading out of the kitchen, leaving her in a bit of a daze. He smirked at seeing her disappointment at his leaving her.

"Alright. I won't be long." She said, regaining her composure. She loved and hated how she lost all coherent thought the second he touched her.

He smirked at her and left.

Bulma quickly finished frying up the rest of her meat and quickly scooped up some rice on her plate and finished her meal as quickly as she could.

Kakarott walked in just as she was finishing up. "Hey, Bulma!" he greeted. "Did you make dinner too?"

"Yea," She nodded, putting her washed plate away. "Or I tried to. There's rice and defrosted meat. I was going to cook it for you guys but Vegeta said not to."

"Oh. You don't have to cook it. Its fine raw like that." He said pointing to the defrosted meat on the counter.

Bulma shuddered. "Okay, well there's a lot there either way. Dig in."

"Great! Thanks, Bulma!" Kakarott said, grabbing a plate for himself.

"No problem!" Bulma called back and headed to her room. She wanted to put something a little nicer on.

She rummaged through her stuff. She wanted to wear something nice, but not make it look too obvious that she was trying to look good. Once again, she had no idea what to expect this evening. She settled on the same black silk pajama pants she wore last night and the matching low cut silk top. It was quite form-fitting. She didn't need to wear a bra underneath it. It had a mock lace up the front to look a little like a corset. She took her hair down from her sloppy bun and ran her fingers through it. She was one of those lucky girls whose hair had a nice natural curl but if she combed it while blow drying it, it would be perfectly straight. She sprayed a little product in her hair and scrunched it and tousled it a little, giving it some body and lose curl. She gave herself a quick once over and decided all in all, she looked pretty good. She didn't look like she was trying too hard.

She knocked on his door and patiently waited for him to answer. It only took a second or two and the door opened, revealing her handsome Prince. Bulma smiled inwardly to herself at the obviousness that he had just been sitting around waiting for her.

"Hello." She greeted him.

"Hello." He replied, looking her over. She looked gorgeous, as usual. "Come in." he said, moving over to let her in and closing the door.

Bulma took a seat on the couch as she had the previous night.

Vegeta poured her a glass of wine and offered it to her and sat next to her. Both of them sat there in silence, sipping their wine. After about a minute, Bulma scooted over next to him so that they were touching. To her surprise, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She took advantage and snuggled right into his side.

Vegeta looked down at her. For once, she wasn't falling asleep on him. What was it about her that he just liked having her close to him? He just wanted her near. He silently breathed in her scent. It was subtle like the same night they had met. He closed his eyes briefly as though he was trying to imprint it in his mind.

"So?" Bulma finally asked, breaking the silence.

Vegeta exhaled. He really didn't want to talk about Vegetasei. He knew he had to warn her though of what to expect. He didn't even fully know what to expect. What he did know was that he would not be letting anyone take her from him. That much he was sure of.

"Tell me about your home." She said, really wanting to know. She was nervous and excited at the prospect.

"It's very hot and dry," He replied. "You'll not want to wear anything too heavy. When we get there, I will take you to our tailor to have some clothes made."

That sounded exciting! Bulma smiled at the thought. She loved shopping and getting new clothes. Learning a whole new style would be fun. Maybe they'd let her put her own personal twist on some of her clothes too.

"I will have to find someplace safe for you to stay," He continued on. "We do have an area in the palace for servants, but I will not have you staying there."

"Thank you." She murmured.

"Hmmn." He replied, deep in thought. "I do not know how well you will be received. You will be seen as a slave."

"Didn't we establish that already?" She asked, slightly annoyed.

"We did, but I do not treat you as such, and will not treat you as such." He said with a heavy sigh. "My father will more than likely see you as my personal concubine."

Bulma frowned at that. "I thought you said you wanted my help in the Science and Technology Department?"

"I do. And you will be," Vegeta started. "Hopefully."

"Hopefully!?"

"Well, that is my hope; that you will be able to work in the science wing with Bardock." Vegeta said. "But the fact that you are an alien and a woman is not going to go over well."

"Why not?" Bulma asked frowning, wondering if she was headed to a planet full of chauvinists.

"Women do not work in the labs." Vegeta replied. "Their sole purpose is to train and be strong and bare strong Saiyan children to advance our race. Only the strongest females are allowed to mate with Elite warriors. So it is very important they be strong. As well, some of our finest warriors are female; both physically and strategically."

"Alright, so why can't a woman work in a science department?" Bulma asked.

"I do not know, it is just not considered proper," Vegeta shrugged, looking for an actual answer. In truth, he didn't even know. He only knew that there never had been a female in the science department. "And anyone who is not a Saiyan does not have a place of any importance. They are usually servants for cleaning and cooking staff or concubines."

"Oh." Was all Bulma could say. She had been worried after this morning about what all would be included in being a slave. She just hadn't thought being a concubine would be one of those possibilities.

"If I say you are my concubine, you will be left alone." Vegeta said, trying to look at her, but her face was turned away.

"And what will that all entail?" Bulma asked, purposefully not meeting his gaze.

Vegeta chuckled. "Well, for all intensive purposes, you will be seen as my personal property to do with as I wish and no one will be able to touch you without my permission unless they want to die. I will try to get you a spot in the science lab but that may prove to be a problem; other than that not much. Be assured, the life of a royal concubine is one coveted by many."

Bulma nodded. "I see."

"It will be for appearances only," Vegeta replied, still looking down at her, wishing she would make eye contact with him. "Bardock, who is the head of the science department and the most intelligent Saiyan on the planet, is more than interested in working with you. So for the time being, you will stay with me in my quarters at the palace and during the day work with Bardock. No one can know that, though."

"Okay." Bulma said, processing everything he had just said to her.

"You cannot leave my room or the science wing unless you accompanied by Kakarott or myself. It will not be safe for you to wander on your own."

"Why isn't it safe?" Bulma asked, frowning again.

"Because it isn't." Vegeta bit back a little more harshly than intended.

"I thought that if I was considered your personal concubine, no one would dare touch me." She challenged, finally turning to look at him.

"No one in the right mind would," Vegeta agreed. "But there are a few that won't care and still seek out to harm you. There are those you must watch out for."

"Like who?" She asked.

"Like my father," He replied with a heavy sigh. "He has a weakness for beautiful women."

Bulma blushed a little at the thought that he obviously thought she was beautiful if he was fearful enough to warn her of his father, then gave herself a mental kick in the head. _This could be serious!_ She chastised herself. "Alright." She nodded. "Who else?"

"Asia." Vegeta growled. He hated even saying her name.

"Pretty name! Who's that?"

"The bothersome wench I told you about that seems to think I'm going to mate with her." He said with as much distaste as he could muster. "She is very possessive of me and will do anything to get to anyone whom she sees as a threat."

"Oh, nice. So me being announced as your personal concubine will go over well, I'm sure!" Bulma said sarcastically.

Vegeta nodded. "She's no one. I can assure you that. She's diluted herself. I have never expressed any interest in her what so ever. Yet she tells everyone that we are to be mated in a few years time." He said, looking into her eyes.

"Really?" Bulma asked, already feeling jealous of this girl whom she knew nothing about.

"Really." He replied. "I will find a way of being rid of her. However, in the meantime, stay as far away from her as you can. She is one of the strongest female elite warriors on the planet."

Bulma nodded. "And why aren't you interested in her? Is she not pretty enough?"

"No, she is beautiful, there is no doubt about that. I just can not stand to be around her. She is extremely manipulative and only interested in the throne and advancing her family's political position. As it is, her father is one of my father's top advisors; which is why it is difficult for me to simply dismiss her."

"I see." Bulma nodded.

"Just stay away from her at all costs. She will destroy you if she sees you a threat, which I'm almost certain she will." He said with a chuckle. A part of him could not wait to see her reaction to Bulma when they arrived.

"Great," Bulma said with a heavy sigh. "Thanks for putting a target on my head."

"There is no other way," he said, trying to look at her again. "Any other way would have you sleeping in the servants' quarters with everyone else, and I will not have that. You will stay with me to ensure your safety or not at all."

Bulma sat there in silence for a moment. She turned at looked at him. He wore an unreadable expression on his face, but his eyes reflected something more. Something she wasn't sure what it was. Was it concern? She wasn't sure. "Alright." She agreed. He had proven to her so far that he was trustworthy and would not take advantage of her.

"Good." He nodded, still looking at her; glad she had agreed so easily to stay with him. He really wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to hold her close and never let her go. Then he would know she would be safe. He would never let anything happen to her. Not while he was still breathing.

"Will I ever have a chance to meet this Lord Frieza?" She asked, abruptly bringing his train of thought to a crashing halt.

"Not if I have anything to do about it," He growled. "Do not go near him. He is evil incarnate. He does nothing but destroy lives. Do not give him any information about anything ever. Not about your capsules. Not about anything you may do in the lab. Nothing about your past life, and nothing about me. Ever. He will use it to destroy you. Most importantly, do not ever allow yourself to be left alone with him. He is sick and demented. He takes pleasure in the discomfort and pain of others. He would think nothing of violating someone like you, just because he could or because it would be a way to get to me, should he believe I hold any such attachment to you." He cautioned, barely able to contain his rage.

"Yea, I heard about him. Kakarott mentioned that he was a horrible person." Bulma replied, feeling nervous under Vegeta's arm as she felt him tense up. She could feel the rage he felt for this lizard lord. If there was anything she could do to help him out to bring that bastard down, she'd do it.

"Kakarott told you about Frieza?" Vegeta asked, glaring down at her.

"He did." She nodded.

"And what exactly did he tell you?" He asked, angrily. How dare that third class talk about their experience with that perverted lizard!

"Nothing, really." Bulma shrugged. _Uh ohh._ She thought to herself. "Just that you guys were sent as young boys into his service and that it was hell, which is why I should help you guys out."

Vegeta chuckled. "That's a nice way of putting it."

"That bad, huh?" She asked, not wanting to let on that Kakarott had given her any details at all.

"Let's just say, Hell would have been a better place to grow up than under Freiza's service." Vegeta spat.

"I'm sorry." Bulma said, looking at him.

"Do not pity me!" he grumbled, getting up off the couch and walking away from her. He suddenly needed his space.

"I don't mean to pity you," Bulma said quickly, remembering that Kakarott had a similar reaction. "I only mean that I'm sorry that you had to suffer."

"And what would you know of suffering?" He spat at her.

"If it's as bad as I'm under the impression it was, then not a whole lot. Nothing I have been through comes close in comparison." She replied boldly, refusing to show him any fear. "My apology does not mean to insult or demean anything you have been through. I only meant that no one should have to suffer; especially if you are a child. Kakarott indicated you were both very young."

"I was ten years old, Kakarott was eight." Vegeta replied, calming down a little. He hated discussing anything about his time with Frieza. "You asked me this morning how we are different from them."

Bulma nodded.

"We would never take child slaves." He said. "If I destroyed Freiza tomorrow, that would never happen again. I would even see to it personally if I had to."

"That's terrible. I'm sorry for what I said this morning." She said looking at him. "That wasn't fair."

"It wasn't," Vegeta agreed. "But how could you know?"

Bulma nodded. She still felt bad for her horrible accusations she had made that morning. "I'm behind you all the way. Whatever I can do to help, I will do."

"Good," Vegeta said, grabbing another drink and refilling Bulma's glass. "The first order of business is to teach Bardock the secret behind this capsulation thing your father invented."

"Alright," Bulma nodded. "It's really quite simple. He'll shake his head when I break down the whole concept. What's he like? You mentioned that he would be okay with working with me despite me being an alien woman. He's okay for me to be around? You trust him?" She asked. From the impression she was under, aside from Vegeta and Kakarott, everyone else sounded very scary.

"Bardock you can trust," Vegeta said sitting back down. "He is the smartest Saiyan on the planet. Where he lacks in fighting strength, he makes up for with his intelligence. Every bit of advanced technology we have was invented by him. Not to mean he isn't strong. He is. Should something happen to you, he could protect you."

"What could happen to me in a science lab?" Bulma asked. She was getting more and more worried by the minute.

"Who knows?" Vegeta shrugged. "There aren't many I do trust. But Bardock is trustworthy. You need not fear him."

"If you trust him, then I will trust him." Bulma nodded. "What's he like?"

"He is Kakarott's father." Vegeta replied. That made her feel a little better. She liked Kakarott. "He's more serious. Not a clown like his son."

Bulma giggled at that. "I'll look forward to meeting him."

"You'll like him," Vegeta said, sitting back down next to her. "And he is looking forward to meeting you and working with you."

"Good! It'll be fun!"

"Aside from Bardock and me, no one is to know what you are doing in the science lab. No one is to know about your capsules." Vegeta said seriously. "If anyone asks, you are my personal concubine."

"Hmm." Bulma replied, not liking that part of the plan, but nodded anyway.

"I am serious. It is the only way I can protect you." Vegeta growled.

"And what if I want to be more than just your personal concubine?" Bulma asked boldly, knowing she may be overstepping her bounds; but she didn't care. She wanted to know where this was going. She felt an intense connection to him and she was sure he felt it too. She just needed to know whether she should get her hopes up or not. Either way, she was willing to work for him and help him to accomplish his goal.

Vegeta turned and looked at her and held her gaze for a long moment. There wasn't anything he would like more. He knew that with her by his side he could accomplish anything. He didn't know how he knew that, but he just did. He didn't want her as his concubine though. She was worth so much more than that. She even deserved more than that. "There isn't anything I wouldn't want more," He said honestly. "But I am a Prince. At this point, I am not free to make my own decisions. But you have my word, that as soon as I am able, you will be appointed as much more than just my concubine."

Bulma nodded. She wasn't quite sure how to take what he had just told her. Of course she knew he wouldn't want to marry her. She wasn't that naive.

"I cannot have any attachments, woman." He said looking intensely at her, wanting her to understand that he did care for her, but at the same time just couldn't. "Even placing you in a position as my concubine is risky. But it's the only way I can think of to make sure you are kept safe at the moment."

"I know. It's just that-"

"You think that me making you a concubine puts a target on your head?" he interrupted. "If Frieza found out you were anything more than that, I cannot even think what he would do." He said shaking his head, trying to dismiss the thought. It was too much for him and yet was something that had been on his mind ever since last night. He hadn't considered that not long after his returning, Frieza would be paying them a visit. He had to find a way to keep her hidden. He was sure that shouldn't be too difficult to do. What he did with his time behind closed doors and with whom was nobody's business.

"Why is this Lord Frieza so determined to get to you?" She asked. It didn't make sense.

"He just is. His purpose in life is to make me miserable." Vegeta growled.

"But why?" Bulma asked.

"It doesn't matter." Vegeta snapped. "All you need to know is that you need to stay away from him." He added, indicating to her that the topic was closed for any further discussion.

Bulma nodded. This situation was very quickly becoming more complicated and confusing by the minute. "I'll keep my distance."

Vegeta looked at her. She looked so delicate and vulnerable in that moment; more so than usual. He knew he had to protect her at all costs. At least he knew that he could rely on Kakarott and Bardock to watch over her when he couldn't be around. "I won't ask much of you, Woman. But I will ask that of you."

Bulma nodded in reply. She still wanted to find out what it was that he really felt for her. Did he actually care for her or was he just being possessive because she was technically his property? She decided to just leave it for the time being. "I should go to bed," She said, getting up to leave.

Vegeta got up and followed her to the door. He didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay with him. He wanted to tell her that he felt much more for her than just having her around as a concubine to help out in the science department. He just didn't know how to communicate that to her.

"Goodnight." She said giving him a small smile and turning to look at him before leaving.

Vegeta did the only thing he could think of in that moment and kissed her. He needed to let her know that he really did want her. He just couldn't claim her as his at the moment. He leaned into her, pushing her against the still closed door and kissed her with as much feeling as he could muster up. It was the only way he could communicate his feelings to her. He just hoped it would be enough for her.

Bulma closed her eyes and let him assault her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he took control over the situation and effectively trapped her against the door. Soon enough, he slid his hands around her thin waist and pulled her tightly against him. Bulma was so caught up in the moment that she began to feel dizzy as she kissed him back with as much intensity as he was giving to her.

"Stay here," he whispered in her ear giving her a break so she could breathe once more. He began to kiss down her neck and back up again to her jaw line slowly making his way back to her mouth.

"Alright," She breathed back to him as he captured her mouth once again with his own. He smirked against her mouth and picked her up and carried her back to his bed, his lips never leaving hers. He gently placed her on his bed and continued to kiss her. He wouldn't lose himself again like he had last night. However, he wanted her to have no doubt in her mind that she was his. At the moment this was the only way he could answer her question as to what if she wanted to be something more to him than just his concubine. He just hoped it would be enough for her for now.

After a few more minutes, Vegeta broke away from her and got up off the bed before things got out of hand. He was already wearing loose pajama pants. He thought those might be a good idea just in case things with the Woman did get heated. He didn't want her to notice his obvious desire. He couldn't believe how he seemed to be affected by her so strongly when he was alone. She didn't have to do anything. He cursed his lack of self control.

Bulma scooted back up into a sitting position and licked her lips. She couldn't believe how passionately he had kissed her just now. It confused her. She wanted more of him but then thought better of it. She quickly got under the covers and watched him as he paced the room. He obviously had something on his mind. It was then that he took off his shirt and tossed it on the floor. _Oh my god!_ She thought to herself. She had noticed his perfect physique, but had never seen him without his shirt. He was absolutely perfect. His chest and abs perfectly chiseled, but not bulky or overdone.

Vegeta smirked at her gawking and turned around to shut off the lights. It was then that he heard her gasp. He turned around quickly to see what was wrong with her.

"What happened to your back?" She asked in horror. It was covered in scars. It was then that she noticed that he had them on his chest and abs as well. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed that as well. She had been too busy drooling, she thought, embarrassed with herself.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and shut off the lights. "Many years of battles, wars and life with Frieza." He growled, heading back to bed and sliding under the covers.

"Those are terrible!" She exclaimed.

"Some were. Most are trophies." He replied, reaching for her and pulling her close.

She allowed him to pull her close and snuggled into his embrace. "Still. They must have hurt!"

"I don't really remember." He said, wanting to end the conversation. He kissed the back of her neck in hopes of distracting her.

Bulma sighed and giggled as he assaulted her neck. This was getting harder and harder to do. She turned her head to try and look at him and caught his mouth. He kissed her deeply again and then pulled away, earning him a small growl from her. He smirked at her, pleased that she was obviously as effected by him as he was by her.

"Did I answer your question sufficiently?" He asked in a very deep voice.

Bulma nodded. "I think so, yea."

"Good. Do not question my intentions or affections for you." He continued. "I may not be able to express myself freely with words. Let my actions however, speak in place of words."

Bulma nodded again, her stomach doing flip flips. "I understand." She said, settling in to sleep.

Vegeta pulled her in closer and wrapped his tail around her waist. She was already asleep. He breathed in her scent and followed in sleep not long after.

Every night for the rest of the week they fell asleep together. They visited and got to know each other better, forming an intense bond. Both of them wished they could just live out their lives together, care free like this forever, but that was a luxury that wouldn't happen yet.

Time passed quickly, and it wasn't long before the night they fell asleep together in the comfort of each other's embrace, they would find themselves awaking to the day they would finally land on Vegeta-sei.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know much about Saiyan mating rituals. I've just read lots of different fics and just took what I liked and went from there. I don't even know where a lot of these ideas came from but they all seem to have the biting and mental bonding thing in common so I went with that to keep it simple. If it's not perfect or correct, I'm sorry. For the sake of this story though, just go with it please.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 5** _

Bulma woke up with a heavy sigh. She snuggled back into the strong pair of arms encircling her. She kept her eyes closed, willing herself to fall asleep again. Today was the day they would land on Vegetasei, Vegeta's home. Her new home. She had been both excited and nervous for this day to come, but now that it was here, she wanted nothing more than to turn the clock back another week.

Everything was so perfect. Sure she was bored most of the time on the ship, but Vegeta kept her entertained for the most part. They talked nonstop about everything and anything. If they weren't in deep conversation about something, then they were arguing about something else. The fights and arguments never usually lasted very long. They both challenged and understood each other. He taught her things about his culture that she would need to know. She told him things about Earth culture that she missed.

Bulma sighed again. She would miss the simple life they had at the moment but knew that they had to get on with life. She was confident enough in the sort of relationship they had built in the last week together that she was sure they could face anything. It sounded so strange to think that they had built a relationship in just a week, but they had.

For one, they didn't have much else to do on this ship but get to know each other.

Secondly, Vegeta had told her that Saiyans don't court long before choosing a mate. It was strange to her because he had also told her that once a mate is chosen, that's it. The only thing to separate a couple is death. She had agreed with his way of thinking; it was romantic to be able to find that one person to spend the rest of your life with but at the same time she found it odd that they didn't take time in spending with someone to see if that person was the right fit. An average Saiyan courtship only lasted a few weeks from the impression she was under. How could you really get to know someone in a few weeks to build a relationship that would last?

On Earth, she had explained to him that a couple could be together for years and then decide they weren't right for one another and break up. Vegeta just shook his head in response at that. It was ludicrous to him. He just told her that if someone was meant to be your mate, you just both knew it after a few days and then a mating ritual was preformed. Yet what she didn't understand was how his father continued to push this Asia girl at him when clearly he had decided she wasn't the one for him. From what Bulma had gathered the only thing this girl had going for her was her physical strength. You needed more than that to make a relationship work. So why push his son into not only a relationship he didn't want but one that sounded like it wouldn't work for either of them?

When she had asked him about how his parent's relationship worked, trying to reason that if they have to mate forever, then he must be able to see the value in finding someone you can at least stand to be around, Vegeta just got angry and refused to continue the conversation any further. Bulma had gathered that something bad must have happened and took note to never ask him about his mother again.

Vegeta still hadn't come out and said that he cared for her, but she had come to realize that he didn't have to. He had kept true to his word a few nights ago and made his affections known to her in his own way. She didn't need to ask him; she knew. They still hadn't been intimate, much to Bulma's growing frustration. But in the privacy of his quarters he was always very physical in expressing his affection for her. His amount of self control amazed her, in all honesty. Ever since that first night together where things had gotten very heated very quickly and she had asked him to stop he never pushed things any further with her. He never made her feel uncomfortable or obligated to let him take things further. It both frustrated her to no end and made her appreciate him even more.

She had remembered many times back when she and Yamcha had been together she hadn't felt ready to take their relationship to that level even after 3 years of dating. He had always made her feel bad or had gotten angry with her. She had only just met Vegeta and he seemed fine with that, although she wasn't sure for how long that would last. Their make out sessions were becoming longer and more heated by the day. Not that she was complaining. No one had ever kissed her the way he did.

Bulma had decided it was better this way. If they were going to let things evolve into a real relationship at some point- if they were ever able for one thing, she didn't want it to be based solely on physical attraction. She had no doubt in her mind that part would never be a problem for either of them. There were moments where they could not keep their hands off each other. She hoped so bad that there would be some way that they could be together for real and not under the cover of her being his concubine. She knew she couldn't handle that if worst came to worst. The thought of being the "other woman" made her seethe. She didn't want to share him with anyone no matter what the reason. For now, she trusted him that he would somehow find a way. "Council and my father be damned." He had said bitterly. She nearly giggled at the memory.

Vegeta felt her sigh and instinctively pulled her closer into him. "You're awake," He purred into her ear.

"I am," She replied, still wanting to fall back asleep.

"We should be getting up soon." He replied breathing in her scent.

"I know," She said. "I just want to stay here with you though."

Vegeta chuckled. "I know. Me as well."

"We can't stay like this one more day?" She asked. Now that the day had arrived, she was feeling very nervous.

"No, we must return," he replied, burying his face in the back of her neck. "Everything will be alright."

"I know, I'm just not sure what to expect is all. I'm afraid of-"

Vegeta turned her face so she was looking at him and kissed her, ending her sentence.

Bulma turned herself around and wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back. She was going to miss this. She knew that once they landed that he would have to be more guarded and less free with his affections towards her.

"Everything will be fine," He said, looking down at her, the intensity in his eyes nearly overwhelming. "I will not let anything happen to you."

"I know," she said with a small smile. "I'm just nervous is all."

"Don't be," He aid kissing her deeply again trying to convey everything to her that he wanted to say but could not put into words. "They will be able to pick up on it. Just be yourself. Be that feisty Woman I met at the tavern that tried to dismiss me and did not stand down when I threatened to blast you." He said, smirking at the memory. It had been that fire she had displayed that had initially piqued his interest.

"Well, you were being an ass." She replied, nipping his chin.

"That being as it may, you still managed to catch my interest; enough to actually want to spend an evening with you." He smirked.

"Where I come from, men would kill for me to even look in their direction. So excuse me for getting upset." She said, rolling her eyes.

Vegeta growled. "If anyone so much as looks at you in a manner in which I deem inappropriate, I will end them."

Bulma giggled at the thought, though at the same time wondered how serious he actually was. Something told her he was being one hundred percent serious and that both flattered her and concerned her at the same time. She kissed him back anyway. Savoring the moment. She loved it when he kissed her. It was like everything else stopped or didn't matter except each other. She hoped that once things settled down after they landed things might be able to go back to the way they were now, but she had a feeling it wouldn't. Vegeta was so adamant about not being able to show her any favor or affection in public that she was concerned that it may carry on into their private time. She would just have to wait and see.

"We should get up now." He mumbled into her ear breaking their kiss, but traveling back down her jaw line and her neck. He breathed in her scent again and resisted the urge to bite her. He had been fighting that urge now for the past few days. He wanted to claim her as his but he knew that he couldn't. Not yet anyway. Not until he was King. Then it would not matter. He would do as he pleased then and no one would be able to stand up to him or tell him he couldn't. He was convinced Bulma was the right woman for him. She was meant to be his mate. It just couldn't be right now.

"Alright." Bulma groaned. "How long until we land?"

"A few hours." Vegeta replied looking down at her. "We've spent enough time here. We should start getting ready." He said kissing her chastely on the lips and getting out of bed.

"What am I supposed to wear, Vegeta?" She asked. She had started stressing about that yesterday. She wished she had grabbed nicer clothes when she was throwing things together from home when the Icejin had shown up. She was in a panic rush and just threw a bunch of clothes down to capsulize. Most of them had been more flattering from fitting dresses and outfits that ended up being great for the tavern, but now that she was faced with meeting a king and council members, nothing came to mind. She had a few wicked suits in her wardrobe that she would wear for company presentations that would have been perfect but she couldn't remember if she had included any of them in her panic packing. Probably not.

"Did you bring that red dress you were in when I found you at the tavern that I asked you to bring?" He asked, looking at her from across the room.

"Yea, I grabbed it on the way out." Bulma nodded. "But I can't wear that!"

"Why not?" he asked, frowning. He had thought she looked stunning in it.

"Umm.. It's skin tight and has no back on it."

"So?"

"So, I can't meet your father, the king and council members dressed like that!" She exclaimed. "Shouldn't I look more, you know, professional?"

"No." He shrugged. She was a beautiful woman and he didn't want her to have to hide. He was very proud of her looks. He didn't want her dressed too scandalous, of course. However, he didn't want her to look boring either. He felt he had found himself one of the most beautiful women in the galaxy to stand at his side. He wanted to showcase her. Not downplay her.

"Why not? I can't meet your father, the King and council members wearing that dress! No one will take me seriously!"

"Why not?" He asked. He didn't see what the problem was. "I like that dress. You look good in that dress. I would not be ashamed to present you to everyone in that dress."

"You sure it's not too racy?" She asked skeptically. She supposed it was one of the more modest dresses she had brought along.

Vegeta shook his head. "You will see how everyone dresses once you get there. It is a very practical dress to wear for the occasion. I will not be embarrassed. Just make yourself presentable and you will be fine."

"Alright," Bulma shrugged. She still thought a suit was the way to go if she had one, but she guessed she would just have to take Vegeta's word for it. "Well, I'll have to start getting ready then, I guess."

Bulma climbed out of bed and bounced to the door. "See you in a few hours?" She asked turning to look at him again.

"Hmmn," He replied walking up to her. "In a few hours." He trapped her against the closed door and kissed her again.

Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed herself deeper into him as his hands slid down her sides and to her waist pulling her against him.

"Everything will be fine." He whispered huskily into her ear before letting her go and walking away from her.

Bulma exhaled in frustration and left his room. He had to stop doing that to her! It was too much! She loved it, but it made her want so much more from him. It was like a constant tease. Although, she had to admit she was no better than he was in instigating things. He probably thought the same about her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and hopped into the shower to start getting ready. She just hoped everything went well!

_**A FEW HOURS LATER** _

Bulma looked at herself in the mirror again and sighed. She knew she looked perfect. But was she perfect enough to be introduced to everyone on an alien planet? She felt completely out of her element. She had no idea what to expect.

She had her hair in a puffy, sloppy bun that hung at the nape of her neck. It looked elegant but not too put together. She had let a few tendrils strategically fall to the side of her face, framing it delicately. Her makeup was flawlessly done. She had kept her eye makeup light brown and neutral tones with black eyeliner on the top lids only. She wore minimal blush and finished the look with bright red lipstick. Overall, a very 1940's look; very delicate and sophisticated. She hoped her more reserved make up would balance off the dress.

It was stunning. It was a bright crimson red and flattered her in all the right places. The front of the dress itself was very plain. It had a high, boat-neck neckline, revealing no cleavage at all what so ever. It did up in the back around her neck and was sleeveless. It was still very tight in the front however, hugging and showing off her svelte figure and came down to just below her knee. It was the back, however that was scandalous. It was backless all the way down to the small of her back. It was also very tight around her bum, making it look amazing as well. There was a high slit up the back that ended just below her bum so that she could walk. She ended the look with a pair of Christian Louboutin black stiletto pumps and red nail polish.

She capsulated everything quickly and slipped her remaining capsules in her shoes; gave herself one more look over, took a deep breath and exited her room to find Vegeta and Kakarott. She hoped she was presentable enough to meet the King and whoever else. She also hoped that that Asia woman was there. She was very curious of her competition. Vegeta had reassured her repeatedly that he had no interest in this other girl, but she still thought of this girl as a potential threat. Why shouldn't she? Asia would not be happy seeing Vegeta arrive home with her, Bulma knew that. So she figured by looking her best, she would be letting this girl know that she wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon either.

Vegeta sat in the control room. They would be arriving on Vegetasei in about 30 minutes. It was then that Bulma walked in. He turned and looked at her and had to catch his breath. She looked absolutely breath taking!

"I told you to make yourself presentable, Woman. Not ravishing." He said, looking her over.

Bulma blushed. "Sorry." She murmured. "I can change if you'd like." She said quickly.

Vegeta shook his head and walked up to her. "I wouldn't present you to everyone any other way." he smirked at her, kissing her chastely on the cheek and then going back to his seat at the controls.

Bulma smiled to herself, relieved. She then took a seat beside him in the co-pilot seat. She looked at the controls to try and calm her nerves. There was a different language written on everything that she didn't know how to read, but for the most part the instruments looked very similar to those on the airplanes on Earth.

Vegeta watched her out of the corner of his eye as she examined everything closely. "Don't tell me you know how to fly too." He said with a smirk.

"Actually I do," She said proudly. "I was helping my father develop a space craft. Before that, I built and designed planes all on my own."

"Planes?" Vegeta asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Yea. Airplanes," She nodded. "They were very similar to this spacecraft, actually. Only they couldn't travel in space, of course. Just around the planet. My father and I were designing one to go into space. But the aircrafts on Earth were like this. Some bigger, some smaller but generally the same idea. I designed and built them."

"Impressive," Vegeta nodded. She never ceased to amaze him with her intelligence. It was almost every day he learned something new about her and as the days went by he was even more sure he had made the right decision in bringing her back with him. "Do you know how this one works?"

"I think so," she said frowning and examining the controls. "It's very similar to a very fast jet that I designed. Or it looks similar."

"And it was a success?" he asked.

"I don't know," She replied, not taking her focus on the control panel. "My planet was destroyed before it was fully tested. I only had a chance to fly the prototype once. It was to be my best design yet."

Vegeta nodded. Not knowing how to respond to that. He was intrigued though. She wasn't lying when she had told him that she and her father had dabbled in inventions for everything. "Do you want to land?" he asked with a smirk.

She looked at him in amazement. "You'd let me?"

"If you think you're confident enough."

"Oh yea. I should be able to land this thing. It looks pretty much the same as the one I built." She replied confidently. "I'd love to!"

"Alright, then." He replied, cancelling the auto pilot and getting up to switch her seats. "I will be over here in case you run into trouble."

"Thanks! I should be fine. I've flown larger planes than this." She smiled at him. She was glad to have something to keep her mind off her nerves.

Vegeta could visibly see her relax and calm down as she settled herself in the captains seat and started analyzing everything. He had seen her tension the second she had walked into the room. She needed to calm down. He also loved how she had lit up when he had asked her if she had wanted to fly the ship. He smirked to himself over that. She was certainly easy to please.

Kakarott walked in. "Hey, guys!" he greeted. "Hey, Bulma! You know how to fly the ship?" He asked, confused.

"I do." She replied proudly. _This'll be a piece of cake._ She thought to herself. From what she could tell, this was almost exactly like what she had been designing.

"Neat! I didn't know you knew how to fly." Kakarott exclaimed. He was amazed Vegeta had found a girl who could both cook and fly a ship! It didn't get better than that in his opinion.

"Oh, you boys would be surprised at what I can do. I am a genius, after all!" She said cockily with a wink pointing her thumb at herself proudly. Vegeta rolled his eyes at her lack of modesty. Kakarott giggled.

"So, how long till we land?" Kakarott asked. They had already entered the planet's atmosphere.

"About ten minutes according to the information here with the coordinates that have been set." Bulma replied.

Kakarott raised his eyebrows and looked at Vegeta in surprise. Vegeta smirked. He hadn't had to help her once so far.

"It's beautiful here." Bulma exclaimed, briefly taking in the scenery as they flew closer to their destination. "Is that where we are going?" She asked, pointing to a large white structure.

"Yes. That is the landing dock that way." Vegeta pointed. "The palace is attached to it right there."

Bulma nodded and guided the ship skillfully towards their destination. It didn't take long to get there and Bulma was able to land the ship smoothly without incident and without any help from Vegeta to both Saiyans amazement.

"What did I tell ya?" She gloated.

"Very impressive. Bulma!"Kakarott exclaimed.

"Ready to go?" Vegeta asked looking at her and offering her his hand.

"No." she replied but took his hand anyway and allowed him to lead her to the door.

"It will be fine. Just follow my lead." He said, leaning in to kiss her trying to give her one last bit of encouragement and ignoring the fact that Kakarott was standing there witnessing his obvious display of affection. "Trust me." He whispered to her holding her face and looking into her eyes.

"I do." She said almost breathlessly.

"Hmmn. Good." He said walking from her and opening the door.

Bulma took a deep breath and followed the two Saiyans out of the ship and down the ramp. There was a small audience there. Bulma was able to spot the King right away. He looked exactly like his son, only was much taller and had a goatee. He looked very intimidating to her. She didn't think it was possible for someone to look more intimidating than Vegeta. She looked and saw about eight other Saiyans waiting there behind the king. All large men. This seemed to be a race of giants in comparison to the human race. She had never seen so many huge men in one place!

She continued to look at the small crowd and spotted a very beautiful tall woman standing close to the king. She was wearing a purple dress that looked to be made from chiffon. It was extremely low cut and extremely revealing. Bulma guessed that this must be Asia. She suddenly didn't think she was that scandalously dressed in comparison. She felt over dressed. She made eye contact with this girl and could almost feel her distaste radiating off of her. _Yup. That must be her._ Bulma thought to herself. She made sure she was standing tall with her shoulders back and head held high and stared back at her confidently refusing to be intimidated. She was Bulma Briefs. She wasn't intimidated by anyone.

"Father." Vegeta stated, bowing respectfully to his father. Bulma noticed how Kakarott kneeled and did the same. She then stood up when he stood up.

"Son. I trust you returned with what you were looking for?" The King said taking note of Bulma and looking her over in a manner that made her feel very uncomfortable.

"I did, father." Vegeta nodded. "I retrieved everything I was hoping to acquire."

"I see." The King nodded walking up to Bulma and looking closely at her as though he were assessing her. He took her chin and turned her face to the left and then to the right. "And what is your name, girl?"

"Bulma Briefs." She replied boldly refusing to show him any fear and looking him right in the eye.

"And where might you be from, Bulma Briefs?" he asked, not breaking eye contact with her.

"I am from the planet Earth, your Highness." She replied confidently as he looked her over.

"Hmmn." The king replied raising an eyebrow. "She is exceptionally beautiful, my Son. And bold. Am I to be under the impression that you have selected her to be your first concubine?" He asked turning away from her and addressing his son.

"Your impression is correct, father." Vegeta replied indifferently. Bulma had to use every ounce of self control she possessed no to frown and smack him upside the head. It didn't matter that he had already warned her and tried to prepare her for this, but hearing him say it to his father like he had just acquired a new toy still really hurt.

"Good!" The King replied smacking his son on the shoulder. "It's about time you took a concubine for yourself. I was beginning to worry."

Bulma happened to notice Asia seething in the background. She could tell she wasn't happy with the King's reaction.

"She will prove to be very valuable in many aspects." Vegeta replied. He would tell his father about Bulma's many talents eventually but not here in the open.

"I'm sure," The King replied looking her over again. "You certainly picked out a rare beauty for your first of many." He nodded in approval. "Be sure to break her in quickly. No slave should be so bold as to look their superiors in the eye." He replied looking at her, daring her to look away at which she did after a few seconds for fear of showing disrespect.

Bulma was starting to get annoyed with them talking about her like a piece of livestock like she wasn't there. She grit her teeth in any case. She would give Vegeta a piece of her mind later on when she got a chance. She happened to catch his eye briefly and saw him smirk slightly at her. She resisted the urge to frown at him and looked away instead.

Vegeta smirked to himself watching Bulma fume silently. He could tell she was pissed. He was proud of her though. She wasn't shrinking back or cowering. She looked right at his father directly and had replied to his quarries without looking to him for support. No, she could hold her own he was sure of it.

"We have much work to do, Son. Come with me. We must have a meeting at once." The King replied indicating for his son to follow him.

"Of course, father. May I see Bulma to my quarters so that she may begin to settle in?" Vegeta asked. He didn't want to leave her alone. He could see Asia shooting daggers at her already.

"Make it quick, Son. Escort her to the wing where the other pleasure slaves reside. They will get her settled in." the King replied, looking at his son oddly.

"I prefer she stay in my quarters." Vegeta said firmly giving his father a look that clearly meant that it wasn't a topic up for discussion.

"Very well, I shall expect you in my personal study within a half hour though." The king said with a shrug.

"I will be there in a half hour, father, thank you." Vegeta replied walking towards the palace turning to Bulma and Kakarott to follow him. He walked right past Asia and everyone else without so much as acknowledging any of them.

Asia stood there absolutely furious. He didn't even so much as glance at her! She looked at the King and couldn't help but feel betrayed. He was actually allowing this? She could not believe it!

"Do not worry. The novelty will wear off soon and by month's end he will have all but forgotten her name." The King reassured her.

"But-" She started to object.

"Do not badger him about it, leave it be." The King replied turning to leave her on the shipping dock standing alone.

Asia wanted to scream at someone. Or kill someone. Either or. She couldn't believe how fast things were spinning out of her control! Vegeta was supposed to be _Her_ prince. She would not be sharing him with anyone. If that Blue-haired hussy thought otherwise, she was greatly mistaken. Asia hadn't missed their brief exchange on the dock either. He had never looked at her that way. It wasn't fair! She had to find some way to discredit this girl before she bewitched her prince even further. It was obvious she was all alone in this. Even the King didn't see her point of view on this. What was wrong with him? He had simply dismissed her concerns as though they were of no consequence.

_**FLASHBACK** _

Talking to Raditz at the banquet a few nights ago had proved to be fruitless. Asia wasn't sure if he was protecting his prince or was actually that dumb.

All she had gotten out of him was that Vegeta seemed to be smitten with some tavern wench. They bought her for him as a joke and he had gone along with it. They spent a few hours in private doing who knows what and then headed home. That was it. That's all Raditz had divulged. He didn't seem to know anything about this girl being a brilliant scientist. Asia had decided that Vegeta and Kakarott had lied to her; there was no was no way.

In any case, she still decided that taking this bit of information to the King was the best thing to do, so that's just what she did. She dressed herself in her best and made sure her hair and makeup was flawless and came to the throne room.

"What is it, my dear?" The King asked when she entered the empty room. It was a rare occasion he was actually alone without anyone else bothering him.

"I have some disturbing news about the Prince, your highness." She replied, bowing low in respect.

The King rolled his eyes. "Rise, my dear. What has he done now?" he asked.

"You are aware that he left on a mission a few days ago," She replied.

"I am. He left to retrieve some valuable artifacts from the planet he just finished purging. I do believe you were present in the council meeting where he presented his discovery." The King said.

"Yes, your highness. I remember." Asia nodded. "However, I have since discovered that this metal element he is going to retrieve isn't the only reason he left. He may also be stopping along the way to pick up some lowly tavern wench he met on his travels."

"Hmmn." The king replied stroking his mustache. "He never mentioned anything about that." He said smirking to himself. This was certainly interesting. He had been wondering for some time as to why his son hadn't shown any interest in any of the palace pleasure slaves. He refused to accompany him to any of the auctions when he would seek to acquire either a new concubine for himself or a courtesan for the harem. Vegetasei had some of the most accomplished and beautiful women in the galaxy. The King was very proud of the variety in women he had acquired over the years. Yet his son never showed anything but contempt whenever the subject was brought up. Maybe he finally had gained an appetite for such things? If anything, this was a good thing! The King had been starting to worry about his son's sexual preferences. This was wonderful news!

"He and Kakarott were discussing it at the banquet."

"And this has been brought to my attention why?" The King asked looking at her in curiosity.

"It is improper, your Highness!" She exclaimed. "How are we to be mates if he keeps other women around? This is an embarrassment!"

The King sat back and sighed heavily. "Asia, you know you have my favor and I do support you in your union with my son when that finally happens. I will continue to take your side on most matters. Vegeta can be very indecisive and hot headed," The king started. "However, if he chooses to take a concubine that is not something I will criticize him for. That is his right. I am frankly surprised it has taken him this long to do so. I had had several by the time I was his age."

"Your highness, it is an outrage!" Asia seethed. She couldn't believe this! How could the King not see where she was coming with this? "I will not play second best to some wench!"

"It is the way of it, Asia. I cannot take your side on this matter," The King said shaking his head. "Any other matter, as you know, I will usually come down on him for but not this. This is something you must let go. I have many royal concubines at my service exclusive to myself only. I cannot tell my son he cannot do the same."

"And your queen was content with the idea of you keeping concubines?" Asia asked angrily.

"Asia, you forget your place." The King bellowed at her. "However, not that it is any of your business, but yes. I had many before her a few while she was with me and I have had many since her passing."

Asia felt like she was going to scream. "I do apologize, your highness for my outburst but I will not have it." she replied firmly.

"It is up to you, Asia but heed my advice. Fight him on this and you'll have an even more difficult time getting him to return your affections. Let it be." The king replied in finality.

"Thank you for your council, your highness. I will take it into consideration." Asia said bowing to the King and leaving the throne room before she belittled herself any more.

Asia stormed down the hallway and headed to her father's personal quarters. He would know what to do about this. He was the King's top advisor. Paragus was his name. He always knew how to fix any situation.

"What is it?" He had asked as she stormed into his personal study in a whirlwind fashion.

"Prince Vegeta has left to get a concubine for himself and his father sees no issue with this." She replied in a huff.

"That is a common practice," Her father replied calmly, putting down the book he was reading. "I, personally do not agree with it. However, the Prince is much like his father. You had to see this coming at some point."

"He has never been interested before. Why now?" She asked.

"Who knows?" Paragus shrugged. "No one knows why Vegeta or his father do half of what they do. That is why I need you in there. You need to solidify your position. It is time this planet had a new ruler. Only you can help achieve that. The last two Kings have done nothing but bring this planet to ruin and I see Prince Vegeta as being no different."

"I am trying, father!" Asia exclaimed in frustration. "Now that he has some wench to occupy his time how will I be able to catch his attention now?"

"Try harder." He replied.

"What else can I do? I've done everything I can!"

"Wait. Sit back and do nothing. Observe this girl as closely as you can. No doubt, Prince Vegeta will be possessive of her. Things will go one of two ways; ether he will tire of her very quickly like his father tires of his many women or you can observe her and find a way to discredit her to him. That shouldn't be too difficult to do. These women are usually unintelligent and very easily swayed for the right price. If you can find a way to discredit her in front of him if he does not tire of her, he will cast her out himself."

"Alright, father. I will wait." Asia replied, calming down.

_**Present Day** _

Asia had to admit, this girl Vegeta had brought was much more attractive than she had anticipated. But she was sure she was a lot smarter. And judging by her looks, she was weak. This should be easy. Maybe she could arrange an accident to befall her as well. She was so delicate in stature. It would take nothing to break that little neck of hers.

Asia smirked to herself. She was going to have a lot of fun destroying this girl. She could tell the way she carried herself that she was very self confident. No matter. She would be no match for her. _Let the games begin!_ She thought to herself as she headed into the palace.

-0-0-0-

Bulma followed Vegeta through the palace hallways. She had a hard time keeping up with his quick pace. From what she could tell, the palace was beautiful. It was all done in white marble; floors, walls, everything. She didn't have time to take in much though. They wandered this way and that till Bulma was sure she would never be able to find her way back.

They finally stopped at a huge set of doors. Vegeta opened them and it revealed a whole new hallway. "This is the Royal wing." He replied as they walked through the doors and started down another hallway. They finally made it to the end and followed the hallway to the right and there was a last set of doors on the end. "These are my personal quarters. This is where you will stay." He said, turning to look at Bulma.

Bulma smiled shyly back at him. For some reason she was really nervous. She knew she was being silly. After all, they had spent every night together since he had taken her from the tavern. She followed him into his room. It was huge! The floor was made of black marble and had a royal blue area rug in the entry way. The walls were also a deep royal blue. It made the atmosphere of the room very dark and dramatic. Bulma smirked to herself thinking that it suited the Prince perfectly.

"Kakarott, wait outside. I will not be long. Then you will escort Bulma to the seamstress to have some clothes made." Vegeta said to the younger Saiyan.

"Sure thing, Vegeta!" Kakarott replied closing the door behind him.

Vegeta walked to the window and pulled back the thick blue curtains letting the natural light into the room, revealing beautiful mountainous scenery beyond the palace.

"Wow! This is absolutely beautiful!" Bulma exclaimed, walking to the window to get a better look. Next to her was a door leading off into a balcony. Vegeta opened it for her. There was a table and chairs and a small couch there. She walked out and onto the balcony and looked out at the beautiful scenery before her.

"I like to come out here and think." Vegeta said coming up behind her and putting his arms around her waist.

Bulma leaned back against him, loving the close contact. She needed that reassurance after listening to him talk to his father about her like she was nothing more than an acquired object. "I can see why. It's gorgeous and peaceful." She said.

"Hmmn," he replied taking in her scent. "You did well."

"Did I?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and turning to look at him.

"You did," He said lowering his head against the side of her face.

"I didn't offend anyone?" She had asked, confused. She was worried at the King's reaction to her looking him in the eye.

"No." Vegeta said, shaking his head chuckling at the memory of his father's reaction. _If only she were a Saiyan._ He thought to himself. He knew his father would have taken an instant liking to her if she were. It didn't matter that in spirit she was like a Saiyan. His father would never respect her or see her as anything else but a mere pleasure slave. "For future reference though, if you do find yourself in his presence, be submissive around him. Don't give him any reason to think you need to be brought in line. Especially if by chance I am not with you. I will do everything I can to ensure that you are never alone with him. But in the event that it might happen, just act like a beaten down slave. He may spare you. He gets great satisfaction in breaking down slaves; especially women. He likes to see how long their spirit lasts and then disposes of them once he has broken them."

Bulma nodded. She didn't even want him to elaborate on that. "Speaking of which, don't you have to go meet him right away?"

"I do," He grumbled. He was not looking forward to it. He would much rather postpone the meeting with his father and escort Bulma around the palace himself, but that didn't seem to be an option. He knew he could trust Kakarott to look after her; however he would be much more comfortable doing it himself. "Go with Kakarott. I will try to be as quick as I can. Once you are done with the seamstress, Kakarott will take you to meet Bardock in the science lab. Take your capsules and show him what they can do. I will meet you there."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan." Bulma nodded.

Vegeta kissed the back of her neck and let her go. He headed back inside and pointed to the left. "My bedroom is in there, and beyond that is the washroom. I will see you later on. Do not leave Kakarott's side." He warned.

"I won't." She nodded following him back to the door.

"Take her to Amira and remain there until she is done." He instructed Kakarott. "After which, bring her to your father's lab. I will meet up with you there. She is not to leave your sight."

"You got it, Vegeta." Kakarott replied.

Vegeta gave Bulma one last look and then left.

"Well, let's go get you some new clothes, Bulma!" Kakarott said with a childish grin.

"This should be fun! I always love expanding my wardrobe!" Bulma replied, following the tall Saiyan down the long hallway. She followed him for a few minutes down the halls. She had time to take in some of the architecture. There were many paintings and statues. She assumed of past kings and queens.

She stopped to look at one such painting of a small family of three. She spotted Vegeta right away. He couldn't have been anymore than five or six years old judging by his size. She recognized the King as well. He looked exactly the same, scowl and all. She looked at the woman in the picture who she assumed was the Queen. She was absolutely beautiful. She was tall, almost as tall as the King; very regal with long black hair down to her waist and large full red lips. She seemed a bit more delicate than what Asia had looked. Asia had been strikingly beautiful, but there was no doubt to her strength. This woman looked very feminine in comparison. As she looked closely at her she could see some features in her that Vegeta had inherited. He had her eyes.

"That's the Royal Family." Kakarott said, noticing that Bulma had stopped.

"Your Queen is beautiful." Bulma commented.

"She is no longer with us." Kakarott said awkwardly looking at the floor.

"Oh.." Bulma mumbled. She hadn't known. Or she knew something had happened judging by the way Vegeta had reacted when she had asked him about his parents once. "What happened to her?"

"Vegeta didn't tell you?" Kakarott asked.

"No." she said, still studying the picture on the wall. "Well, I asked him about his parents once and he got really defensive."

"Oh. Well, I don't know it's something I'm allowed to tell you about but she died giving birth to Vegeta's little brother."

"Awe. That's terrible!" Bulma exclaimed. "Wait, Vegeta never said anything about having a little brother."

"He died a few days after the queen passed." Kakarott said, looking at the picture of the Royal Family. "Both Vegeta and the King took it really hard."

"Well who wouldn't?"

"The King never really recovered from her loss. He just became a bitter angry tyrant after that." Kakarott explained. "It wasn't long after her death that he sent Vegeta away to serve under Lord Frieza. Either because he wasn't thinking straight or because he thought the Queen had coddled him too much. All I do know is that had the queen still been alive, she would have never allowed that to happen to her son."

"No mother would be okay with sending their own son to live with an evil tyrant." Bulma said shaking her head. No wonder Vegeta was so angry. "How old was he when this picture was done?"

"About six?" Kakarott guessed.

"He's adorable." Bulma said, giggling to herself looking at the miniature version of the Prince. He was so small and wore a scowl that matched his father's perfectly. She noted the bangs he had that had obviously receded as he started to mature. He didn't have them anymore.

"Don't tell him that." Kakarott said with a smirk. "Come on, we have to get you to the seamstress." He said continuing down the hallway.

It didn't take long for them to get there. They were greeted by a tall slender woman who was obviously not a Saiyan. She had tan skin with what looked like scales covering her whole body, giving her a pink sheen over the tan when the light bounced off her skin and she had long white hair.

"This is Bulma, Prince Vegeta's royal concubine. He had asked that I bring her here for you to fit her with an appropriate wardrobe." Kakarott said.

"My name is Amira." The woman greeted with a smile. "I will be honored to build a wardrobe for the Prince's concubine! Please, come with me." She said, taking Bulma's hand and leading her into her work area.

"I will wait here." Kakarott said, taking a seat up front.

"Let's have you measured, dear." Amira said, grabbing something that looked like a measuring tape. She quickly took some measurements and jotted them down. "My goodness you are tiny and delicate." She noted. "How has the Prince not managed to break you in half?"

Bulma blushed at what the woman was implying. "Well, he's very cautious, I guess." She said, not sure what she should or shouldn't say to her.

"Saiyan men are never cautious or gentle in their mating habits." Amira said looking at Bulma suspiciously. "You obviously haven't been together intimately yet then, have you?"

If Bulma thought she was blushing before, she certainly was now. She was bright red from her forehead to her feet.

Bulma's lack of response and deeper blushing answered the question for her. "Why has he not taken you yet, girl?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know." Bulma said, shrugging. In truth, she really didn't know. Sure he had respected her wishes to not pursue anything further that first night they were together, but that didn't mean she wasn't open to it ever. "I don't really know what his plans are for me. He only told me that I was to be his Royal Concubine and that's all I know."

"I see," Amira said, raising an eyebrow. "That is very strange indeed, but ultimately to your advantage. Saiyan males are extremely rough. Some girls don't last a full night. No matter, I will whip you up some ensembles that will make it impossible for him to keep his hands off you!" She said, grabbing a pile of books and placing them on a table. "Go through these; let me know which ones you like. I can have them made fairly quickly. Which colors do you like? I can get started finding fabric."

"I like pretty much every color." Bulma said, grabbing the first book in the pile and started flipping through it, trying to get her mind off the disturbing picture Amira had just given her. Maybe that's why Vegeta hadn't done anything with her? In which case, she was thankful.

"With your coloring, I think royal blue will really make your eyes and hair stand out. And royal blue happens to be the Prince's favorite color." She said, heading back to Bulma with a few color swatches for her to choose from.

With fabric and designs to choose from, Bulma was in fashion heaven!

_**MEANWHILE…** _

Vegeta didn't bother knocking when he reached his father's private study room. He just wanted to get this over and done with and get back to Bulma.

"You wished to see me, Father?" He greeted, taking a seat across the desk from the King.

"We have much to discuss, Son." The King replied, putting down some papers and folding his arms, looking down at his son.

"So let's get on with it then." Vegeta grumbled.

"Why? So you can go back to playing with your new toy?" The King smirked. "Just where did you manage to find her? I have never seen a woman with that coloring before. She is absolutely stunning."

"It does not matter where she is from or where I found her. She is mine to do with as I please. That will be the end of it." Vegeta growled. It worried him that his father seemed to have such an interest in Bulma already.

"Very well, my Son. Just make sure you do not accidentally take her as a mate or bond with her." The King warned sternly. "It has happened before. Keep her for a few months and then set her aside. And most importantly, never get her with child."

Vegeta rolled his eyes at his father's counsel. None of that was any of his business. If he wanted to take Bulma as his mate one day, he would and he most certainly would not be setting her aside anytime soon. It was then that the thought of even having to do such a thing bothered him more than he would have liked. "I'm not an idiot." He replied.

"Well, just ensure it never happens. In the mean time, enjoy yourself. I remember my first concubine. To this day she was the best I ever had." His father said with a far off look. "I put her down when the time was right. I expect you to do the same."

"Enough about her." Vegeta growled "I did not come here to discuss my concubine or your past conquests."

"Fair enough, Son." The King nodded. "You are aware, however, that Asia is extremely displeased with you taking a bed slave."

"Whether I take a concubine or not should be no concern of hers."

"Son, please just try to somewhat remain on her good side." The King said with a heavy sigh. "If you two are to be mated you at least have to be able to stand to be around one another."

"I will not be taking her as my mate. Not now, not ever." Vegeta said with gritted teeth. How many times did he have to have this conversation with his father?

"I do not understand your objection to her. She is the strongest female warrior on the planet. Not to mention she is very beautiful. She would make a fine queen. You wouldn't even have to worry about the approval of the elders." His father replied.

"I cannot stand to be around her. She is manipulative and conniving." Vegeta snapped. "I will not be mated to someone I cannot trust."

"Think of how powerful any potential heirs of yours might be."

"As you said so yourself, Father, if I am to have a mate, it has to be someone I can stand to be around. As it so happens I cannot stand to be around her or her father for that matter. I do not trust either of them." Vegeta replied.

"And what have they done to make you feel this way?" The King asked.

"It does not matter!" Vegeta said, agitatedly. "I will not be choosing her. End of story. If you think she is so wonderful, why do you not take her for yourself and spare me the never ending annoyance."

"Vegeta, you need to take a mate soon." The King sighed, trying so hard to reason with his son. "I cannot take a mate at this point. You are next to take the throne. It would not make sense for me to do as such right now. However, if I did not have you, I would have taken her as my mate."

"I will take a mate when I decide to take one. And it will be one of my own choosing for my own reasons." Vegeta said. "Not some conniving bitch that you and everyone else has chosen for me."

"Vegeta, there is no one else that would be appropriate." The King objected.

"In your opinion." Vegeta retorted.

"Very well, is there another that has caught your interest then?" The King asked.

 _Yes, but I cannot have her at the moment. She would be perfect._ Vegeta thought to himself, wishing that he could just tell his father that he had chosen Bulma already, in his mind anyway. It was a done deal. He just had to wait for the right moment. At this point, only fessing up to that would put her life in danger. "No, father. There is no one else." He replied instead.

"Then as long as there are no other appropriate candidates to be considered, Asia will be your mate. I have already informed her that it is your right to take a concubine. She is not happy about it, but will get used to that I'm sure, just be sure to find some time to spend with her and smooth this all over." The King said.

Vegeta grit his teeth together to keep from having an outburst. There was no way in hell Asia would ever be his mate; even if Bulma wasn't in the picture. He would rather die without an heir to the throne than to be mated with her.

"If this is all you brought me here to discuss, I shall be leaving. I have other things to tend to." Vegeta said, changing the subject.

"I'm sure you do," the King said with a glint in his eye that disgusted Vegeta. "On the matter of transporting weapons to the planet Alger in time before Lord Frieza arrives; I am afraid we have made no lead way with that. You had mentioned that you may have a solution. Did you happen to have a chance to look into that on your travels?"

"I did, father. It was a large reason for my trip as well as to gather the rest of that steel alloy." Vegeta replied, glad for the change in subject. He was leery of mentioning Bulma's part in it. The less interest his father had in her, the better. But he didn't know how else to tell him about this amazing technology. Also, he was very proud of her. It wouldn't be fair to take all the credit on her designs.

"Do tell, my son."

"As you well know, I stumbled upon Bulma on our travels. On our first encounter she had told me about a certain technology in which she and her father were the designers on her home planet. Her planet has since been purged by the Ice-jin for reasons unknown. In any case, she told me of something called capsulation technology. You can easily store and transport large items in one of these capsules."

"Interesting." The King mumbled. "Why did you not tell me of this sooner?"

"I wasn't sure if it were possible to do such a thing. I wanted Bardock's opinion first. In case it proved to not be possible." Vegeta replied.

"And what did Bardock have to say about this?"

"He thought it was an excellent idea, but had no idea how to replicate such a thing. He wanted more information on this so called capsule technology. It was then that I decided to bring her back with me on my return trip from gathering the alloy."

"Did you have her demonstrate this capsulation method?" The King asked, intrigued by such a thing.

"I did. It proved to be as miraculous as what she had said. I brought her with us to the dead planet and we stored all of our findings with her capsules. I have reason to believe that we could have easily stored more."

"Hmmmn." The King mumbled, thinking to himself. "And she is willing to share this technology with us?" he asked skeptically.

"She is more than willing." Vegeta nodded. "The Ice-jin destroyed her home planet. She wants revenge on them. They sold her as a slave. Their overlooking her brilliant mind is their loss and our gain. I believe she will be a great asset to our science and technology department in our fight against them. If for no other reason, her hatred for them will fuel her along."

"An alien pleasure slave in the science department?! Have you lost your mind, boy?" the King exclaimed in outrage. "Who is this girl that she has bewitched you into even thinking that would be a good idea?"

"I can assure you, father, she has not bewitched me." Vegeta replied, angrily. He hated when his father called him Boy. "She can aid Bardock in replicating these capsules for our benefit. She has mentioned other ideas as well that we could use to advance some of our current weapons, ships and armor. She has demonstrated a vast knowledge in these things. She was the one who landed our ship. She apparently was one of the engineers for her father's company. She built and designed ships among many other things." Vegeta explained to his father, wanting so bad for him to see what an asset Bulma could be for them. She was so much more than just a simple bed slave.

"You let her fly your ship?" the King asked skeptically.

"I did, father. Yes." Vegeta nodded.

"And why would you allow such a thing? She is a slave. You do not allow slaves such freedoms! What if she had decided to crash it with you and Kakarott inside? Then where would I be? You are my one and only Heir!" The King said angrily.

"I can assure you, father. She has no ill will or malice towards Kakarott or myself. She trusts us." Vegeta replied, not understanding why his father was so upset. He had found a brilliant woman who could be key to helping them finally gain their freedom from the Ice-jin and his father was acting like he had brought home the plague.

"Not that you know of! Son, you cannot put your trust in a slave. A woman bed slave at that! Boy, I have seen many good men come to ruin by getting too comfortable with their bed slaves. They always regret it." The King counseled.

"That will not happen." Vegeta said confidently.

"Be sure that it doesn't." the King said looking warily at his son. "I understand you may be enamored with the girl. She is gorgeous and she is your first. But do not lose sight of the fact that she is still only a bed slave and nothing more. She cannot be anything more to you than that. If she is, then put her down now and be done with it."

"It is not like that." Vegeta lied. "Your worries are unfounded. I only acquired her a week ago."

"All the same. It does not take long for a bond to form." The King said. "You know that."

"Yes, father. I know." Vegeta growled. "At least let her show us how to utilize this capsule technology. I believe it could prove to be invaluable."

"Very well then." The King said, dismissing his concern. "But no one is to know about this and she is to only help with showing Bardock how to replicate her capsule technology. Nothing more."

"You will not be disappointed, Father." Vegeta said getting up to leave.

"Get going on this, Son. There is no time to delay. Lord Frieza will be here in a week. We must prepare for his arrival and have those weapons moved off this planet before then." The King advised.

"It shall be done." Vegeta nodded and left his father's office. He was more than confident that his Woman could accomplish it.

The King watched his son leave suspiciously. He had a feeling that this Blue Hired Woman he had brought back with him would prove to be more trouble than not. He would have to keep an eye on the both of them. If she was as intelligent as Vegeta had implied, she could prove to be a definite threat. One that should be removed immediately before she bewitched his son any further than she already obviously had.

He remembered when he was young. He had cared for his first concubine a little too much. His father had been livid when he had found out and ordered that either he put her down or he would do it for him. He had been fortunate enough to not bond with her, but he was sure that if his father had not stepped in when he had, he would have eventually made that mistake.

He had hated the bastard for a long, long time for making him do that, but in hindsight he understood. He remembered the last night he had been with her. It had been perfect. He had then killed her in her sleep; quick and painlessly. She never even knew. He felt a light twinge even now at the memory. Less than a month later his father had bought another for him and he never kept them around long enough to develop anything more than a brief infatuation. Then he either paid them their freedom or put them down.

A few years after the murder of his first concubine, he had met and mated with Tessla and made her his queen. She had been the most beautiful Saiyan in the Empire. His father hadn't approved of their union. As far as Saiyan females went, she had been on the weaker side. At the time, he hadn't cared though. It was a price he had paid in the long run. He had nearly lost her when she had given birth to Vegeta. They hadn't wanted to risk it by having anymore children, but somehow he had managed to get her with child again and lost her when she was giving birth to his second heir only to lose him as well only a few days later. He was thankful to still have Vegeta. He had always been proud that his seemingly weak mate in everyone else eyes had managed to give him an heir with a power level that had never been seen before in an infant in over one thousand years.

Not that it had been any of Asia's business, but the only time he had taken bed slaves in his union with the queen was when she had been pregnant with his heirs. He knew she lacked physical strength and he didn't want to ever do anything to put her or his unborn at risk. She hadn't been thrilled with the notion of him seeking the comfort of other women, but she hadn't flown off the handle like Asia was. She had been a remarkable female. To this day he missed her. If it hadn't been for his vast collection of pleasure slaves to keep his mind occupied at night, he was sure he would have succumbed to the depression of losing a bonded mate.

It had been in that time that he had become resentful and hateful towards females in general. If his mate hadn't been so weak, she would have still been here. That was part of the reason he pushed Asia at his son. She was the strongest female on the planet. An excellent choice for Vegeta. He did not want him to live through the same misery he had by bonding to the wrong female. Unfortunately for him, his son was just as stubborn as both his parents.

He would let his son have his way with this girl for a while. But sooner or later, he would have to bring him to his senses as his father had to do for him. He knew that Vegeta would hate him for a little while. But once he got over it and saw that he was right, he would forgive him as he had forgiven his father.


	6. Chapter 6

_****Disclaimer:** ** _ **I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.**

_**CHAPTER 6** _

Bulma had picked out a few very nice outfits from the books Amira had given her. As Bulma had hoped, she had let her put her own personal input on them as well. She had chosen a few dresses, some comfy loose pants-type outfits. The fabric reminded her of chiffon back home. It was light weight and elegant. She had chosen a vast collection of colors. Pink, green, purple and red and lots of blue. Amira was convinced that blue was Bulma's color. She had chosen for her lots of turquoise, royal blue and navy blue.

As luck would have it, Amira actually had a dress in royal blue that had been put together already in Bulma's size. It only took her a few minutes of alterations and it was finished and ready to go.

Bulma already had it on. It was a very simple yet elegant off the shoulder dress. It looked very Grecian-style to Bulma. It fit loosely yet was still very flattering to her figure and flowed to her ankles. Paired with a pair of flat silver sandals, Bulma was ready to go.

"You look stunning, dear." Amira said. She had made that dress months ago for someone else, but her measurements had been a little off and it ended up being too small for that person. She had hung onto it on the off chance it still may be able to have fit a young Saiyan girl.

"Thank you so much! I love it!" Bulma replied. She was very impressed with this woman's work.

"I'm glad you like it. Come and see me tomorrow. I will have more finished for you then."

"Forsure!" Bulma replied excitedly. "I can't wait!"

"Good!" Amira said, very pleased to have been able to help and even more pleased to have been able to meet this mysterious girl she had heard Asia venting about. It was a shame. She seemed like a genuinely nice girl. Amira liked her. But since Asia saw her as a threat, she knew she wouldn't be around long. She wasn't sure if she should warn her or not, so she opted to just leave it be. She would meet Asia soon enough.

Bulma left Amira's work shop with Kakarott and followed him down the many hallways of the palace to the Science Department where his father, Bardock worked. Bulma was actually quite anxious to meet this Bardock. Vegeta thought very highly of him and had told her how he was considered the smartest Saiyan on the planet. She was eager to see what she could learn from this man as well as what she could contribute to his work, if anything. If he was as much a genius as Vegeta had let on, she may not be able to contribute much. Then what?

It didn't take them long to get there. "Hi father!" Kakarott greeted the man sitting at a table, analyzing figures on a sheet of paper.

Bulma was shocked to see that Kakarott looked exactly the same as his father. _They could be twins!_ Bulma thought to herself. The only obvious difference was that Bardock had a more serious demeanor than his son.

"Hello, Son. How was your trip?" Bardock asked, putting his papers away. "Is this the mysterious blue-haired scientist Vegeta told me about?" He asked, looking at Bulma with interest.

"It is! This is Bulma." Kakarott said, motioning for her to come forward for her to come meet his father. "Bulma, this is my father. He is head of the Science and Technology Department."

"Very pleased to meet you," Bulma replied, stepping forward and putting her hand out. Bardock looked at her strangely, not familiar with the gesture. "Sorry, I forgot. Earth tradition." Bulma said, taking her hand back and blushing slightly.

"I see." Bardock replied, looking her over. She certainly was beautiful. He hadn't expected her to be anything less if the Prince had taken a liking to her. The only thing that seemed odd to him was how petite and delicate she looked. For a man as strength driven as Vegeta was, he would not have thought such a breakable creature would have held any interest for the Prince. However, stranger things had happened. Perhaps that had been part of the appeal. "It is very nice to meet you as well. Welcome to Vegeta-sei. Prince Vegeta has spoken very highly of your abilities. I am very anxious to see this capsulation technology he had mentioned you designed?"

"Oh! Thank you." Bulma replied, surprised Vegeta had mentioned that much to the scientist. "Well, it was actually my father who had originally designed the concept. I only found a way to improve it a bunch of years later." She replied taking out one of the capsules she had brought with her to give him a demonstration.

"That's it?" Bardock asked reaching for the small capsule and taking it to examine.

"That's it!" Bulma proudly replied.

"And there's all that alloy metal in there?" Bardock asked skeptically.

"Actually, no. Not in that one. But I have four others in Prince Vegeta's quarters that are full of that alloy stuff. Yes." Bulma said. Maybe she should have brought one of those ones instead. She just wasn't sure how much space there would be in the science lab. Turns out, she could have brought one of them with her. Oh well. "There's so much in one capsule, I figured there wouldn't be enough space to decapsulate it all indoors."

"That's alright. Give me a demonstration of what you did bring with you." Bardock nodded, anxious to see this.

"Watch closely." Bulma said, taking the capsule back from Bardock. She pressed the top and threw it on the ground and instantly her suit case and a pile of shoes and other things appeared on the ground.

"Remarkable." Bardock mumbled to himself. "And how do you get it all in there?" He asked.

"You just throw the capsule on what you want capsulated." She replied, dropping the capsule on everything and watching it all disappear, leaving nothing but the capsule in their place.

"Excellent." Bardock replied. "This is amazing. How did you come up with something like that?"

"It was my father that came up with it. I only helped and later on improved it. It so easy. Once I tell you the theory behind it, you'll laugh." Bulma said proudly.

"You don't mind telling me how to replicate such a thing?" Bardock asked in amazement.

"Not at all. If It helps you guys defeat those Ice-jin creeps, then I'm all for it!" Bulma said with determination.

"Alright. Have you got the time to start up the schematics this evening?" Bardock asked.

"Absolutely! Vegeta is meeting us here later on. We can start now." She said enthusiastically. It was good to be able to use her brain again. She grabbed a seat next to Bardock and started explaining the theory behind it to him while drawing out the schematics.

Kakarott stood there with a childish grin on his face. He really didn't feel like he was needed anymore. He had escorted Bulma from Amira's to his father's lab and now they were discussing things he had no clue or insight to. He was hungry though.

"Umm. Guys?" Kakarott said, interrupting them. Bardock and Bulma turned to look at him. "I'm going to go and get some food. I'm really hungry. Vegeta should be here soon anyway."

"Okay, son." Bardock said turning back to Bulma's drawing. The two continued to discuss things that he had no clue about. So the younger Saiyan slipped out the door and headed down the hallway to the Palace Kitchen. _There should still be plenty of food there._ He thought; his mouth watering just thinking about it. He quickened his pace down the hall and rounded a corner bumping smack into Vegeta.

"Watch where you're going, clown!" Vegeta growled, rubbing his shoulder and glaring at Kakarott.

"Hey, Vegeta!" Kakarott greeted.

"Where's Bulma? Why isn't she with you?" Vegeta asked angrily.

"She's fine! She's with my father. They are talking about capsules and scientific stuff that I haven't a clue about and I was hungry so I left her with him since I figured it wouldn't be long before you came to get her." Kakarott mumbled, knowing his Prince would not be impressed that he had left Bulma alone even though Bardock could be trusted with her.

"I told you to not let her out of your sight." Vegeta growled, grabbing him by the front of his armor.

"I know, Vegeta, but my father won't do anything to her. You know that." Kakarott replied feeling somewhat offended that Vegeta would think he would have left her if that hadn't been the case.

"I know that very well but you still disobeyed a direct order." Vegeta said angrily.

"Alright! I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" Kakarott said putting his hands up in surrender.

"Be sure that it doesn't or I will end you." Vegeta said letting him go and continuing down the hall way.

"Want anything while I'm down there?" Kakarott asked after him.

"No. I am not hungry. You are dismissed." Vegeta replied not turning back to look at his companion.

Kakarott shrugged and hurried down the hall to get to the kitchen before there was nothing left.

Vegeta quickened his pace to Barock's lab. He knew he could trust him with Bulma. He would never do anything to her and he could protect her if someone wanted to harm her. He just didn't understand how Kakarott could be so careless as to not wait for him to get there first. He would have to beat some sense into him during their next sparring session.

Vegeta sought out her energy. He was close to the lab. He could sense Bardock's energy and a very small minute energy signal that was with him. He assumed that must have been her. He wanted to start familiarizing himself with her ki signature now; especially since it was so small and not easy to detect. If he started now, eventually it would become easier. It was the only way he could look in on her and reassure himself that she was safe when he couldn't physically be with her.

He rounded a few corners and eventually got to the entry way to the lab. He didn't bother knocking, just headed in. He carefully closed the door so as not to disturb them. He stood there silently watching them work. Bardock turned and silently acknowledged his Prince and turned back to Bulma who was completely engrossed in what she was doing.

Vegeta smirked as he watched her. She looked so confident as she explained everything to Bardock, who was taking notes as she drew out a schematic. He noted how relaxed she looked. This was definitely her niche. He knew she and Bardock would get along well. The older Saiyan was always absorbed in something or other. No one else appreciated his passion for science. He knew Bulma would. And he knew that between the two of them, they could accomplish great things to advance the empire. He just had to find a way so that she could help Bardock without his father finding out.

Once Bulma had finished explaining most of the logistics, Bardock greeted the Prince. "Welcome, my Prince."

Bulma turned around to look at Vegeta and smiled at him in greeting. She hadn't even realized he was there. He loved the way her new dress looked on her. The dark royal blue accentuated her hair and her eyes making them seem an even prettier blue than they already were. The flattering flow of the dress accentuated her delicate features yet concealed her curves modestly.

"I hope I haven't interrupted you." Vegeta said walking towards the large table they were working on.

"Not at all, your highness. Please, come join us." Bardock said, grabbing a chair for his prince.

"We are almost done. I just have a few more things to explain. We can start building a capsule tomorrow, if Mr. Bardock wants." Bulma said, looking at the older Saiyan.

"Just Bardock, please." He said.

"Sorry. It's a habit. It is an Earth tradition to refer to someone older that way. It's a respect thing." Bulma said in apology. She kept forgetting how different the customs seemed to be here.

"Thank you, but just Bardock is fine." Bardock replied, flattered by her respect. She barely knew him and was the one enlightening him. He should have been the one referring to her respectfully. Vegeta had been right; she was a genius and would ultimately be invaluable. He wondered what else she could conjure up. So far, he was extremely impressed with this capsulation method she had explained.

"Alright." Bulma nodded and started back to her schematic and explaining the rest of the theory to Bardock. She was impressed with how quickly he had caught on to it. She had been impressed with Vegeta and his scientific understanding the first time she had met him and briefly explained the logistics of capsule technology. Bardock's understanding was even more advanced than Vegeta's. She was very excited to work with him.

"That's about it, really." She said leaning back on her chair and stretching.

"This is amazing. So simple." Bardock exclaimed. "I can't believe I never thought of it before."

"I told you you'd laugh once I broke it all down." Bulma said with a smile, glad he understood it and that she could help.

"Vegeta, she is remarkable!" Bardock exclaimed.

"Hmmn. I know." Vegeta replied with a smirk looking at Bulma with pride. "Unfortunately my father does not feel the same way."

"I am not surprised." Bardock grumbled. "He will have to change his mind once he sees the progress we have made today. This will help us to be able to hide the weapons from Lord Frieza in time for his arrival."

"He arrives in one week." Vegeta said.

"He cannot know of her brilliant mind." Bardock said worried at what might happen if Frieza found out about her potential. He'd want her to work for him for sure.

"I know." Vegeta nodded. He was worried he would want her for more than just her mind. Her exquisite looks alone would surely catch his attention. Especially if he knew that she had any sort of connection to him.

"I can just hang out here when he comes." Bulma offered. "I'm sure I can come up with enough projects to keep me busy. As long as someone brings me some food here and there, I'm good."

"You will not be staying here on your own." Vegeta said with a scowl. "My father is adamant that you are to only help with capsules and nothing more. By the time Frieza comes here, you will be done with that."

"Your highness, she could help me with so much more than that though. I would be more than thrilled to have her working here with me." Bardock argued.

"Yes, Bardock, I agree. But he is not keen on the idea of having a female alien bed slave aiding in our affairs. He made that more than clear. She cannot be found here after this week." Vegeta explained, still angry that his father refused to even consider the possibility.

"Then how can I help you?" Bulma asked.

"You will remain in my personal quarters." Vegeta replied. "I will provide you with the means to help design upgrades to ships or weapons as Bardock sees the need until I figure out a better arrangement."

"It'll have to do, I guess." Bulma sighed in disappointment. She had really been looking forward to working with Bardock. "As long as I have paper and something to write with or bring me something to upgrade and the tools to take it apart so I can examine it. If you can at least provide that, I can do just about anything."

Vegeta smirked at her willingness to help. "It will be done."

"Well, it looks like we have lots to be done tomorrow." Bardock said getting up. "Be here tomorrow morning and we will get started on this right away."

"Forsure. I'll be here." Bulma said enthusiastically.

"Very well. I will bring you back first thing tomorrow morning." He said looking at Bulma and getting up to leave.

"It was nice to meet you and I look forward to working with you tomorrow." Bulma said following Vegeta to the door.

"Likewise." Bardock nodded watching them leave. He had a really good feeling about her. She was as intelligent as she was beautiful. He could understand why the young Prince was drawn to her. He just hoped he wasn't thinking of bonding with her anytime soon. If the King was already upset at the prospect of her helping out beyond the capsules, he didn't even want to think about what he would do if the Prince became too attached. It just wouldn't work.

_**Meanwhile** _

Bulma followed Vegeta down the halls back to the royal wing.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her, realizing only now that she wouldn't have had anything to eat since they left the ship.

"A little." She replied. She actually had been so wrapped up in explaining her design to Bardock that she had forgotten all about eating.

"Have someone bring a meal to my personal quarters." Vegeta said to a guard.

The guard nodded and quickly retreated to do his bidding.

Vegeta lead her to his room and closed the door. He reached for her hand and drew her close to him, kissing her gently on the lips. "That dress suits you well." He said. He had wanted to ravage her the moment he had seen her in Bardock's lab.

"Thank you. She had one that actually fit me lying around. I can get a few more outfits tomorrow." Bulma replied, blushing.

"Are they as enticing as this one?" He asked looking her up and down suggestively.

"You'll have to wait and see." She teased, knowing her face was probably three shades redder.

"Hmmn. Minx." Vegeta smirked pulling her in closer and taking in the scent of her hair. He didn't know why, but he couldn't seem to get enough of it.

"How did the meeting with your father go?" Bulma asked, resting her cheek on his chest.

"It was a waste of time." He growled, walking away from her, leaving her standing in the middle of the entry way. She watched him pace the room and noted how his tail twitched in agitation. She loved how when he didn't have it wrapped protectively around his waist that it usually gave away his carefully concealed emotions.

There was a knock on the door and Vegeta went to answer the door and brought in a tray full of food. Bulma hoped he wasn't expecting her to eat all of that.

"Help yourself." He said, motioning to the tray after placing it on a table.

"Are you going to have some too? I can't possibly eat all of that."

"No wonder there's nothing to you." Vegeta smirked. "This is not even a meal. This is only a snack."

"Whatever," She shrugged, looking at the variety of meats and fruit on the tray. It all looked delicious.

"All the meat has been cooked." Vegeta said watching her analyze everything on the plate.

"Ha haa." Bulma retorted. Taking a few bites of some sort of fruit that reminded her of a pineapple.

"You were thinking it." Vegeta teased, reaching for some meat on the tray for himself.

"I was not!" Bulma shot back.

"Sure." He smirked, watching her. "Help yourself. I am going to shower." He said getting up and heading toward his bedroom after grabbing a handful of fruit and meat off the tray.

Bulma sat there eating in silence until she was satisfied. She then got up to change for bed, hurrying to get changed before Vegeta came out of the bathroom. She chose for herself a powder pink silk pajama set she hadn't worn yet. As with everything else she owned, it was comfortable and at the same time flattering to her petite figure.

Vegeta came out of the bathroom from his shower just as she was pulling up her pajama bottoms. Her back was to him, so he got a nice view of her bottom. Bulma blushed profusely. Cursing herself for not being quicker.

Vegeta smirked at her embarrassment and looked away quickly so she wouldn't know that he had actually caught a quick glimpse of her bottom. He noticed her peeking over her shoulder to see if he had. _Ha haa. She'll never know forsure._ He smirked to himself, leaning against the door frame of the bathroom with his arms crossed silently watching her as she made her way to the dresser where the mirror was and started to take her hair down from the loose bun she'd had it in. He watched her and simply marveled at her beauty as she brushed her hair and ran her fingers through it repeatedly tousling it. He wondered if she knew what she was doing to him just then with such a simple task. How had he been lucky enough to have found her? Especially after all the horrible things he had done in his past doing Frieza's bidding? She was both a genius and exquisitely beautiful. It baffled his mind.

He knew now just by how he felt while watching her that he was in way deeper than he should be. He knew he should take his father's advice and do away with her now before she became a further weakness to him. However, the thought of it did not sit well with him. He had never cared about anyone before; not since his mother had passed.

Well, there had been one girl a few years ago that he had liked. But even then, the feelings he was quickly developing now for Bulma were far stronger than anything he had felt for the other girl. Even now, the only thing he felt for the other girl was extreme guilt. He had been young and careless with his affections. He hadn't been strong enough to protect her. He would not make the same mistake again. He would not lose Bulma to anyone. Not to his father and definitely not to Lord Frieza or any of his lapdogs like last time. He would not allow it. Somehow they would make it through all of this. He just had to remember to keep his self control in check. It was becoming increasingly difficult but he knew he couldn't do anything stupid. If he even attempted to take things further physically with her, he knew that he would end up mating and bonding with her. As much as he wanted nothing more than to finally make her his in every way, the timing wasn't right. He had noticed that she hadn't brought up the subject again about where this relationship of theirs was headed. He was very thankful for that. Vegeta wasn't good at expressing his feelings and he didn't know how to explain this to her without offending her. So, he decided to just leave it as it was and when she asked him about it, he would deal with it then. Until then, he just did everything he could to reassure her of his feelings behind closed doors where no one would know or be able to exploit it.

Vegeta watched as she started gathering her hair up to tie it back into a ponytail. "Leave your hair down," He said. Aside from the first night he had met her and maybe once or twice since then, she always wore her hair up.

Bulma turned to look at him curiously. She hadn't noticed him standing there watching her. She blushed a little. "You want me to leave my hair down?" She asked curiously. He had never expressed an opinion one way or another since she had been with him. She found herself feeling flattered that he even had an opinion where her looks were concerned.

Vegeta nodded and walked towards her slowly as if stalking her. Bulma suddenly felt very uncomfortable under his intense gaze. She suddenly wasn't sure what to do. He was usually so reserved around her, even in the privacy of his personal quarters when he did express his affections. Right now he had the look of a predator. It made her feel nervous and anxious at the same time. She had been waiting for him to take things further with her.

Strangely as it sounded, she felt ready to take things further with him. Although after her brief conversation today with Amira, maybe the fact that he hadn't was a blessing. Amira had kind of scared Bulma away a little from the thought of intimacy with Vegeta. She had said that Saiyan males weren't gentle in the least with their partners. A part of her refused to believe that Vegeta would be careless or forceful with her. So far he had been very mindful of the fact that he was so much stronger than her. He had never left so much as a mark on her.

Bulma took a deep breath as he approached her and trapped her in front of the dresser and mirror. He reached towards the side of her face and gently brushed his hand through her long hair that fell past her shoulder. He then brought his hand back up to the side of her face, caressing her cheek gently. Bulma leaned into his hand.

"You should wear your hair down more often." He said, reaching for her waist and pulling her closer to him. He ran his hand through her hair a few more times, marveling at the soft texture of it before capturing her lips with his. Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She giggled as he picked her up and brought her to his bed, gently putting her down. He left to shut off the lights and pulled her close to him in the familiar embrace they shared every night.

Bulma turned herself around awkwardly trying to face him and kissed him again, to which he eagerly responded. She threaded her fingers through his hair on the back of his head trying desperately to pull him closer to her. To her surprise, he allowed it, carefully positioning himself above her and continued to kiss her deeply, exploring her mouth with his tongue. Usually whenever she initiated anything more, he put a stop to everything.

Vegeta knew this was a bad idea. A very bad idea. But it felt so good kissing her. He grumbled at his lack of self control. The woman was quickly becoming an obsession. He should end this. Take her now while she was willing and once she finished helping Bardock in the lab, let her go. He hated to admit it, but his father may have a point. If he could not control his emotions around her now, how much more difficult would it be later on? Even worse if someone tried to use her against him. She was a liability. A weakness. He could not afford to have any weaknesses.

The feelings she evoked in him were so strong though. She may be weak and helpless, something he had been raised to despise; but the overwhelming need for him to protect her and keep her close seemed to overrule everything else. The very fact that she trusted him and obviously felt safe with him made him feel like he had something else in life to strive for other than gaining more strength or even the throne for that matter. He wanted her to trust him and he wanted to keep her safe. Give her a life here worth living now that her own planet was gone. It didn't make sense to him. A part of him was still fighting this losing battle of attraction to her, telling himself that he was only interested in her possible knowledge to be able to gain an advantage over Lord Frieza to be able to defeat him once and for all. The other part of him wanted nothing more than to surrender to this madness. To hell with what his father thought of him taking an alien as a mate. How could he possibly take another as a mate when he felt so strongly for Bulma? No, this was the right choice for him he reasoned. She was the right choice. If it weren't, then why did the thought of harming her in any way or leaving her pain him so much? She was his. His to protect and take care of.

He continued to kiss her and trail kisses down her neck, ever mindful of her delicate frame. The last thing he wanted to do was lose control and hurt her. So far he had been able to do that. He felt her reach for his tail and stroke it gently. He had to admit it felt amazing. Never had anyone caressed his tail so gently and without ulterior motive. He'd had it pulled and even broken on most occasions by Frieza. There had been several occasions Frieza had gotten a hold of it and gently caressed it, but that had only served to humiliate him in the worst way possible. Just the thought of that ruined her innocent gesture. She giggled as she heard him growl in response, unaware of the bad memory she had triggered. He summoned the last ounce of self control he still possessed and was able to take his tail back and pin her hands above her head.

"Please don't," he rasped.

"Sorry." She whispered back, feeling bad that she may have annoyed him. He began kissing her again and let her hands go, lacing his fingers with one of her hands while her other hand settled on the back of his neck again. He kept his other hand to the side of her, balancing part of his weight so as not to crush her.

Her taking his tail had awakened a more primal instinct within him, something that he had been holding back for a while now. She noticed his demeanor change a little. His kisses became a little rougher and more aggressive than they had ever been. At first, she didn't mind, hoping that they were finally going to do something about the steadily rising tension that had been brewing between them for the last week. She kissed him back harder and moaned as he nipped her lip harshly. She could taste the blood. She gasped out loud as she felt him nip at her jaw and then down by the base of her neck where the skin was thin.

"Careful," she whimpered. That one had actually hurt.

Her simple statement pulled him out of his lustful daze. He stopped immediately and looked down at her. "Did I hurt you?" He asked; his voice and eyes clouded with concern.

"It's okay," she said touching the side of his face, feeling bad for even saying anything. He was usually so careful with her that his sudden aggressiveness just startled her was all. His nipping her wasn't a new thing. It just never broke the skin or hurt like that.

"It is not okay," he replied rolling off of her to his side of the bed not even touching her. _What was I even thinking?!_ He chastised himself angrily. _I almost bit her! Then what would we have done? We'd be bonded and partially mated. There would be no hiding it from anyone._ He berated himself. How could he have allowed himself to lose control like that and possibly endanger her even further? He knew his father was already suspicious of his feelings for her.

"It is," Bulma reassured. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It just took me by surprise is all." She said, attempting to snuggle up to him.

"You do not understand what just very nearly happened." Vegeta replied, sitting up in the bed still needing to distance himself from her until he got himself fully under control.

"Well, I think I have a pretty good idea." Bulma said with a confused frown. "We've been very nearly almost allowing something to happen every night and most mornings for a week now. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to feel very frustrated."

Vegeta sighed heavily, raking his hands through his hair harshly. He really didn't want to explain this. He had been hoping he wouldn't have to for a few weeks, but he guessed now was as good a time as any. "You need to understand something about Saiyan mating rituals."

Bulma sat up next to him and leaned against the head board. She had a feeling this was going to be a long chat. She sat there patiently, waiting for him to continue. She knew he had a hard time expressing himself, so she would give him all the time he needed to say what he needed to say.

"Do not ask me to repeat what I am about to say to you," Vegeta started awkwardly not looking at her. "I feel very strongly about you." He finished turning to look at her with an intensity that almost scared her.

Bulma blushed. She certainly wasn't expecting that from him. "I feel-" She started.

"Let me finish." He interrupted her. "Part of a Saiyan mating ritual involves the obvious. But the other part involves creating an unbreakable mental and emotional bond with the other person. During the act of mating, the male bites the female on the neck; where I nipped you this evening. It is an instinctual thing." He explained awkwardly. "It serves two purposes. Firstly, it opens up a mental and emotional bond between mates that cannot ever be broken. Once a couple is bonded, that is it. That is why it must to be consensual for both parties. If one rejects the other, it can have disastrous effects on the one rejected. Secondly, it will leave a scar and marks the female as a warning to other males that she is taken by another."

Bulma nodded in understanding.

"It is a very permanent arrangement. Only death can free bonded mates. Unfortunately, once one passes, depending on the depth of that bond, many times the other follows not long after." Vegeta continued. He was surprised she wasn't shrieking at him to never touch her again after what he nearly attempted only moments ago. "When I am with you like this, I want to claim you as my mate. It is something that I have been struggling to control for some time. When you touched my tail the way you did, it made it very difficult to control that urge."

Bulma couldn't help the blush on her cheeks or the small smile forming on her lips. She wasn't sure, but she was pretty sure Vegeta had just stated the equivalent of a marriage proposal to her. It was more formal than romantic, but the intent was there. She finally understood why he never allowed their physical displays of affection to go beyond a certain point. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

Vegeta looked at her strangely. "You're not frightened of me now?" He asked in shock.

"No. Why would I be afraid of you?" Bulma asked. "If anything, I wish you had let me know about this sooner. I was beginning to wonder what was wrong with me that you didn't want to be with me in that way."

Vegeta smirked. "I want to be with you in every way I can, Woman. Be sure of that. It's just that at this point, I feel strongly enough about you that if we let things go further, I will mate you and claim you as mine permanently and a bond will be formed."

"I'm flattered you feel so strongly." Bulma said slowly. She understood how hard it must have been for him to tell her that. She just wanted to reassure him that she felt the same way without being overly sappy and emotional. "I never want to leave you either. When the time for you is right, I would gladly accept a bond with you." She said, hoping that would convey her feelings back to him in such a way that wouldn't make him feel uncomfortable.

"Even though it would mean permanently scarring your neck up and that you would be bound to me for the rest of your life?" He asked skeptically. She had told him how many on her planet would make vows to their mates for life and then break them some years later.

"Absolutely." Bulma nodded looking into his eyes. She had never felt more loved and accepted than she did at that moment. "And you would want to take a weakling as a mate?"

"I could do a lot worse for myself," he smirked. "What you are lacking in physical strength you more than make up for with that brilliant mind of yours; I can deal with that."

"Thanks." She said smiling at him.

"In the meantime, no one can know about this." Vegeta said seriously. "Not Kakarott, not Bardock, no one."

"I won't say a word." Bulma agreed nodding, though feeling somewhat disappointed she couldn't share this with anyone. She wanted to shout it out onto the rooftops!

"I would claim you now, but my father would do away with you. I have to wait until I am strong enough to be able to take him on and become King. Until then, this is how it has to stay." Vegeta said with a scowl.

"He told you that today, didn't he?" Bulma asked. She had noticed how agitated he had been since coming from the meeting with his father. He had looked like he was fighting an inner battle in his head. She felt bad that she was the cause of it.

"Not in so many words but the threat was there. He is already suspicious that you are more to me than just a bed slave. We must be careful in his presence."

"I understand." Bulma nodded, slinking back under the covers.

Vegeta lay back down and pulled Bulma into his arms. "It will work itself out." He said kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I grabbed your tail." Bulma said shyly. "I didn't know. I thought it was a good reaction it gave you. Not a bad one."

"It's alright. Under normal circumstances it is a good thing. Something shared between mates." Vegeta explained. "Just if we are to keep things the way they are now, it would be wise for you to not do that."

"It won't happen again then." Bulma agreed. She was already impressed with his self control. She didn't want to exploit him that way for her own selfish desires. She vaguely recalled him mentioning to her how his tail was both his greatest weakness and the source of his greatest power. She felt really dumb now.

"Do not worry yourself about it." He said, pulling her closer to him. "We both just need to be careful and not allow things to go too far. It is too dangerous."

Bulma nodded. She knew she was just as bad for instigating things as he was. She wouldn't allow herself to lose control in that way again either. They had to look out for each other. In a way though, now that Vegeta had actually verbalized his feelings for her, it made her feel better. She had known that he cared about her to some capacity. She just had no clue how deep those feelings went. Now that she knew that he cared for her the same was she cared for him, the rest could wait.

They both fell asleep in minutes now that there was nothing else left unsaid between them.

_**In the meantime…** _

King Vegeta headed into the royal wing. It was time to retire for the evening. Out of curiosity, he sought out his son's energy. He was in his quarters. The woman was with him. Her energy signal was no stronger than a mere insect. The King shook his head. What use could his son possibly have with such a weak individual?

Maybe she was as intelligent as he had said. Even so, it was not proper for a slave to aid the empire with such serious matters. She could sabotage everything to their disadvantage and cause more trouble than be of any help in the long run. They couldn't afford to take that risk.

He took note of the dormant energy signals they were both giving off. It was almost as though they were asleep. Why would his son take a bed slave and then not use her? She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. If his son didn't want her, he would gladly use her for an evening depending on how long she would last. He smirked to himself. He would give his son to the end of the week. If he still wasn't using her he would either take her himself or maybe he could arrange a trade with Lord Frieza. It hadn't been uncommon for them to trade women in the harem. They both had an appetite for exotic women.

That seemed like the best idea. His son already proved to be very protective of her and this had caused the King much alarm. His son had always been very possessive of things that were his. However this seemed much different. He would arrange a trade with the Lizard Lord. He would choose a new slave for his son and get this blue haired woman as far away from his son as possible. He knew Vegeta would hate him for a time, but it was the best solution to keep him out of accidentally bonding and mating with this girl. If that happened, his son would be stuck with her. That was all he needed. Not to mention if he got the girl with child, this could be a disaster.

The King nodded and headed into his own personal quarters. If he didn't see a change in his Son's demeanor to prove that he was not forming an attachment to the woman, he would find an alternate method to rid his son of her. Maybe the novelty would wear off by the end of the week once she had out run her usefulness.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer:** _ I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 7** _

Vegeta woke up a few hours earlier than normal. He hugged Bulma closer to him briefly. He couldn't believe he had almost claimed her the night before. He didn't even want to think what they would be facing today if he hadn't come to his senses. It pained him that he couldn't have just done what he had wanted and take her as his mate now. A part of him wanted to wake her up and do just that and worry about the consequences later. There wasn't anything anyone could do if he had bonded to the woman. He cursed his father silently, knowing that if he did just that, it would put Bulma in too much danger. If his father did away with Bulma, it would lead to his ultimate demise as well. He knew full well that if he created a bond with her it would be full and complete.

A huge part of him felt relieved that he had finally revealed the full extent of his feelings for her. The other part was ashamed that he had reduced himself to that. What was she doing to him? He had been grateful however that she hadn't exploited his weakness for her. She had understood how hard it had been for him to verbalize his feelings and hadn't pressed him for more. Even more surprising to him had been her acceptance of him. He knew she cared for him; that much was obvious. However he hadn't been expecting her to just accept an eternal bond with him so soon. This just solidified his trust and faith in their union all the more. He was sure of his decision. He just had to make sure she was sure of hers. Judging by the fact that he hadn't frightened her off in the least, he knew she felt just as strongly for him as he did for her.

He breathed in the scent of her hair, gently kissed the back of her neck and got out of bed. He watched her sleep as he changed into his training uniform _._

Vegeta grabbed his scouter and connected it with Kakarott's. _The clown had better be up._ He thought with a scowl.

"Hey, Vegeta!" Kakarott greeted.

"I need you to come stand watch at my personal quarters." Vegeta said. "I am going to train for a bit while she's still asleep."

"Alright, Vegeta. I'll be right there. I'm just finishing my breakfast." The younger Saiyan replied. "Do you want me to bring you or Bulma anything?"

"Nothing for me. Maybe something for the Woman though."

"Alright. See you in a few minutes." Kakarott replied, ending the communication.

Vegeta sat at the other side of the room and watched Bulma sleep for a few minutes while waiting for Kakarott. She looked so peaceful; her hair cascading everywhere looking like a blue waterfall over the pillow. He felt a twinge of guilt as he noticed the bite mark he had left on her lower lip. He had always made sure to never mark her or damage her in anyway. He hoped he hadn't left one on her neck as well. That was all he needed was for everyone to see that. He wished that he was in a position that he could have been proud to have marked her. _Someday soon, little one. Very soon._ He thought to himself. He just had to get stronger. Achieve Legendary status and then he could have her. No one would be able to stand up to him. No one would dare. He would also be able to protect her from anyone who would dare harm her. They would find a way around this. He knew they would. Then he would make her his queen. _And what a fine queen you'll make._ He thought, smirking to himself.

He could sense Kakarott approaching.

Vegeta got up and kissed her gently on the cheek and left the bedroom and headed to the door to let Kakarott in.

"Hey, Vegeta." The younger Saiyan greeted with two plates full of food.

"Come in." Vegeta said, letting him in. "I need to train for a while. Stay here until I get back and I will take Bulma to your father's to start on the capsule project. If she wakes up before I return, notify me."

"Sounds good, Vegeta." Kakarott nodded.

"Bulma's not going to be able to eat all of that." Vegeta said looking at the two full plates the younger Saiyan had brought.

"I know that, Vegeta." Kakarott laughed. "One is for me and the other is for her."

Vegeta shook his head. "Stay here until I return and do not leave under any circumstances. I mean it." He growled.

"Don't worry, Vegeta. Hey, can we train later?"

"Later. Maybe when Bulma is working with your father." Vegeta nodded. That wasn't a bad idea. She should be fine with Bardock for a few hours. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't watch over her her every second of the day and neither could Kakarott.

Vegeta left the room and headed to the training center. He needed to get a good work out in. The training area on the ship was alright, but he needed the benefits of a proper facility. Maybe there was someone there he could pound to a pulp to relieve his pent up frustrations on.

Once he got there, he found the training center surprisingly empty. No matter. He could spar with Kakarott later on. He started a warm up of one-handed pushups followed by sit ups. By the time he was half way through, Nappa and Raditz had shown up to train.

"Your Highness," Nappa greeted. "You're back."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied not stopping his work out.

"So, is it true that you went back for that blue-haired girl?" Raditz asked. He had been dying to know the details behind this turn of events. He had known his Prince had liked her more than he had initially let on.

"How do you know about that?" Vegeta asked, already irritated. He had been hoping to get his mind off of the woman and their predicament for a little while. It didn't look like that was going to happen now.

"Asia told me." Raditz replied.

"Oh, she did, did she?" He shrugged, not caring and continuing with his sit ups.

"Yea. She was some pissed!" Raditz said with a chuckle at the memory.

"She caused quite the scene at the banquet over it too." Nappa said shaking his head. In his opinion females were foolish and only good for one thing, which was why he never had any intent on taking a mate for himself ever. That's what the harems were for.

"Good." Vegeta replied simply. Hopefully she had made a fool of herself.

"She kinda came on to me after you left the banquet," Raditz said with a frown. "It was weird. Anyway, she said you and Kakarott were leaving to go pick up that Blue-haired girl and she wanted to know everything about her. I only said she was a random tavern wench but she was insisting that she was a brilliant scientist or something? I don't know. I only said that I bought her for you for the night because I thought she had happened to catch your eye and that's all."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied not even pausing from his sit ups. He wasn't sure how much he should tell them especially if Asia thought they could be pumped for information. He was thoroughly annoyed by this turn of events. Would she never give up?

"Awe, come on!" Raditz whined.

"There is nothing to tell." Vegeta growled. "I decided that my father was right and that it was time I acquired a concubine. She is more than adequate enough."

"I'll say." Nappa agreed.

"If Asia persists in asking you of anything, tell her nothing." Vegeta growled. "In fact, if she comes on to you again, go for it. Do not hold yourself back on my account."

"I thought you two were to be mated?" Raditz asked frowning.

"That is what she and my father have decided. It is by no means what I have decided." Vegeta said cryptically. "Take her for yourself should the opportunity present itself. You would be doing me a favor."

"I couldn't do that, my Prince!" Raditz exclaimed. "Not to say that I don't want her. She's everything a Saiyan female warrior ought to be, which is why it is only right that you take her as your mate."

"I don't want the damned female!" Vegeta bellowed in frustration. "The next time she takes a pass at you, take it. I am not interested in her."

Raditz and Nappa looked at each other and frowned. Had they heard him right? They had never heard their Prince express any outright interest in her but they had never heard a blatant disinterest either. They assumed his non response where she was concerned was just his way of keeping his feelings to himself. Everyone knew the Prince did not like any obvious displays of affection or emotion. He was always very stoic no matter the occasion.

"I appreciate your permission on the matter, your highness, but are you absolutely sure?" Raditz asked. He had been silently admiring her for a while but never made known his interest because he was sure Vegeta was interested in her. Asia had made it well known around the kingdom that they were an item.

"I am." Vegeta replied.

"Why?" Nappa asked in confusion. "She's the best this planet has to offer in strength, not to mention beauty; and she's smart. If you wanted to take a mate, she'd be the one, your Highness."

"I know all of that that, Nappa!" Vegeta growled feeling like he was sitting here having the exact conversation with his father as he was with his companions. It wasn't doing anything but annoying him. "I do not care! I am completely uninterested in her."

"Alright then," Raditz shrugged. "Just don't try to kill me if she turns her interests elsewhere."

"Oh believe me, I won't. I'll thank you if by some miracle she turns her interests to you." Vegeta chuckled. "Just don't blame me when she proves to be an untrustworthy choice of mate."

"What makes you say that?" Raditz asked with a frown.

"Her father is a politician. I do not trust politicians. I guarantee you the only reason she is interested in me is to advance her father's position. He wants the throne for himself." Vegeta said.

"Paragus is the highest ranking in the advisors. There's no higher place he could get for himself." Raditz said.

"He wants the throne, and he is trying to use her to take it for himself." Vegeta replied matter of factly.

"He can't just take the throne for himself." Raditz said with a laugh. "He may be the in the highest position of all the elders, but his strength level is pathetic. How could he ever hope to take the throne?"

"No, but with his daughter as queen he can be even more influential than he already unfortunately is. I do not trust either of them." Vegeta growled. Was he the only one who could see the obvious plot that was unfolding should he decide to take her as his mate? He didn't care that she was strong, beautiful or intelligent. He didn't trust her father and he sure didn't trust her. Her neediness and refusal to accept his dismissal only further solidified his decision. He knew she was a prize. Any of the high ranking elites would be more than thrilled to take her as their mate. She would find herself a good place in life if someone else chose her. She would have to know that. This instance she had though, bothered him to no end. Her throwing herself at him combined with his father's constant nagging only made him dig his heels in further on the matter.

"I don't get your point of view, your highness but if you're okay with it, I'd like to make a play for her." Raditz said with a smirk.

"You have my approval. I have no interest." Vegeta sighed hoping this would be the end of it.

"You'll be sorry!" Raditz laughed. Asia was high class. If he could convince her to take him as her mate he would be the happiest Saiyan alive!

"I doubt that." Vegeta snorted. He was really hoping Asia would turn her attentions to Raditz if he pursued her. Though, he had a horrible feeling in his gut that it wouldn't make much difference. He would wait and see. If she turned her interest away from him then it would prove to him that he had been wrong in his judgment of her. It didn't matter to him though. He had never been interested in her. He hated her father enough that she could have been anything and everything and he would have never considered her as a potential candidate as his queen.

Her father had been a huge influence in convincing his father to send him away to learn under Lord Frieza. His father had at that point still been too grief stricken over the death of his mate to have made an educated decision where his son was concerned. Paragus had taken over many of the serious decisions during that time. Vegeta hated him for it. He even hated his own father for being so weak as to have let someone else convince him that it would have been a good idea in the first place. Even at that time, Frieza's reputation for being cruel and demented had been well known. How could his father have let anyone convince him that sending his son to a madman to learn was a good idea? Vegeta could not understand. He could understand now, having met Bulma and feeling as strongly about her as he did; he could understand his father's grief over losing his mate. He could not understand handing your only son to someone so evil. He would always hate his father for that and he would hate Paragus even more for even suggesting it and persisting in it. He had to have known his father had been in a weakened state at the time to even consider agreeing to such a thing. So what had his motive been? Had he been hoping that he would have never survived under Frieza's direct rule? Then what? Had he been hoping that his father would sink in to such a state of depression of having lost both his mate and only heir that he would continue to let him lord over everything for him forever? How long had he been campaigning Asia around as a potential mate for him or his father should the opportunity arise?

His father's reply in acknowledging that if he had no heir he would have taken Asia as a mate yesterday only confirmed Vegeta's suspicions he had already had for years. It didn't matter to Vegeta that Asia might just be an innocent pawn in her father's quest for the throne for himself. As far as he was concerned, that was reason enough to stay far away from her. The last thing he wanted was to be tied down to that bastard in any way shape or form. He wouldn't put it past him to have her poison him or make arrangements to have him assassinated once their union became official.

"So what brought this on? The new girl?" Raditz asked, interrupting Vegeta's train of thought.

"Hardly." Vegeta snorted. "I've never been interested in her. I merely tolerated her bothersome presence to appease my father."

"So about the girl you brought back, she's been rumored to be your concubine. Is that true?" Nappa asked. He thought this whole situation was very strange. Vegeta never shared his father's opinion where keeping women on the side was concerned.

"It is." Vegeta replied.

"Why now? You detest courtesans, concubines and the whole bit." Nappa argued.

"It does not matter. I have decided the time is right for me to take a concubine and that is that." Vegeta growled. Could he not have a decent work out? He had left Bulma to clear his mind for a few hours. Not discuss her! He should have just stayed with her.

Nappa frowned. "Forgive my boldness, my Prince, but I cannot smell her on you."

"Meaning?" Vegeta asked irritated.

"Meaning her scent should be all over you. You've been with her over a week now." Nappa said.

"I showered her scent off of me before I came to train. I did not want the distraction." Vegeta replied, knowing it wouldn't be a sufficient excuse. He can't believe he hadn't thought of that before. He guessed he'd just hoped no one would notice or question him on it. He could remember the numerous times he met with his father and could smell the stench of his women from the night before all over him. It disgusted him.

"You haven't had her yet, have you?" Raditz smirked. He had noticed it but hadn't dared mention it.

"Alright, fine! I haven't!" Vegeta barked angrily.

"Why not?" The two Saiyans asked in shock.

"I don't know." Vegeta replied. "I was going to, but she had said she hadn't been with anyone before and so I didn't the first night and haven't since then."

"So?" Nappa said. "Take her. Bonus if she's untouched!"

"Enough!" Vegeta growled. "My affairs are none of your concern!"

"Whatever." Raditz shrugged.

"Just don't be running your fool mouths off to Asia. It is none of her business." Vegeta growled. "Now, are we going to spar or what?"

"Of course, your Highness!" Raditz and Nappa replied. "Let's go!" The three Saiyans began to spar. Vegeta threw his two companions this way and that with little to no effort, not even breaking a sweat. After about a half hour of intense sparring, Vegeta got a message on his scouter saying that Bulma was awake.

"That's enough." Vegeta said, sending Nappa into a wall. The larger Saiyan was out cold. "I have to leave. Take him to a regeneration tank. Tomorrow morning we'll meet back here for another sparring session."

"Yes, my Prince." Raditz limped over to where Nappa was passed out.

"And you are not to discuss me or the Woman with Asia. I do not care what she wants to know. It is off limits." Vegeta growled, leaving the training center.

"Of course, your highness." Raditz agreed.

Vegeta was half way back to his room when he got a call from his father wanting to see him immediately. Vegeta groaned to himself. It was going to be a long day…

_**A LITTLE EARLIER…** _

Bulma woke up for the first time in the last week without the feeling of Vegeta's arms around her. She sat up in confusion wondering where he had gone and how long ago he had left. She hoped she hadn't over slept too much. She had to get to the lab to help Bardock.

She couldn't help but feel a little hurt that he wasn't there. She knew she was being silly. She had known life would be different once they landed on Vegeta's home planet. She was sure he had a morning routine. She just felt like last night had been a huge step for them. He had always found a way to let her know by his actions that he cared about her. But last night he had actually verbalized his feelings for her.

The memory of it made the butterflies in her stomach flop overtime. He had been so passionate and intense. The intensity had scared her a little, but she put that behind her. She knew that he would never do anything to intentionally harm her. When she had voiced the slightest concern that things were getting too carried away, he had stopped immediately. She would never forget the concern in his face. If she hadn't said anything to him she wondered where they would have been this morning. He had mentioned that he had wanted to take her as his mate. The thought overjoyed her. She had never met anyone like Vegeta. He was dark and passionate, honorable and very protective of her. Even going so far as to protect her from himself.

She wouldn't forget how hard it had been for him to actually verbalize his feelings. " _ **I feel very strongly about you."**_ Was what he had said. She smiled to herself at the memory. It was so formal yet adorable at the same time coming from someone who didn't like expressing himself. She just hoped that he didn't regret his admission to her last night and that's why he wasn't there when she woke up. Something told her she was just being silly though. She just had to wait until she saw him.

Bulma crawled out of bed and made it to the huge washroom. There was a shower stall to the left when you walked in and on the right, next to the huge vanity was a huge soaker tub that was large enough to accommodate three or four people. Bulma looked longingly at the tub wishing she had time to take a nice hot bath. She hadn't had one since before she had been taken from her home. She decided tonight she would indulge. For now, she would have to settle on a quick shower.

She turned on the water to warm and looked herself over in the mirror quickly while he was waiting for the water to warm up enough for her. She frowned a bit when she noticed the obvious bite mark on her lower lip from Vegeta last night. Upon further examination, she noticed a small bruise on her neck as well where he had nipped her. That should be able to easily be covered up she thought to herself. But what was she going to do with the mark on her lip? It was obviously a bite mark. No amount of cover up was going to fix that. She sighed and just hoped maybe no one would ask.

Bulma relished in the feel of the nice hot water from the shower.

Once she was done and had finished her hair and makeup she was quite pleased with her appearance. The bruise on her neck had been easily covered up with makeup. Her lip was another story, but she had put on a very neutral lip color similar to her natural color. It was still there, but made it less obvious. She decided to pull her hair up into a high ponytail even though Vegeta had expressed his preference for it to be down. She was going to be working in the lab most of the day. The last thing she needed was for her hair to be hanging all over the place. She chose for herself a long white blouse that was nice and airy and flowed to her hips. Vegeta hadn't been exaggerating when he had mentioned that it was hot here. So she chose this blouse so that she wouldn't over heat. She wore a pair of black leggings and finished her outfit with a black belt and flip flops. Chick and practical at the same time.

When Bulma emerged from the bedroom she was surprised to see Kakarott sitting at the table.

"Hey, Bulma! I brought you some breakfast." The cheery Saiyan greeted pointing to a plate on the table.

"Thanks, Kakarott." Bulma smiled. That had been thoughtful of him. She sat down across from him and began to eat. "Where's Vegeta?"

"He went to the training center to get in a quick work out since you were still asleep. He should be back at any moment. I called him already."

Bulma nodded, continuing to eat. She still had that nervous feeling that it was because of what had happened last night.

"Vegeta always gets up early to train." Kakarott said, sensing her nervousness at his absence. "He trains then meets with his father and the other elders and then trains some more or takes care of anything his father needs him to."

"Oh." Bulma nodded. "He didn't tell me about his day to day schedule."

"Yea, Vegeta sometimes forgets to mention things like that, especially when he's stressed." Kakarott said.

Bulma smirked. _Typical male_.

"What happened to your lip, Bulma?" Kakrarott asked.

"Oh, I slipped and accidentally bit it." Bulma replied; her face turning red. Vegeta had been very explicit that no one was to know what was going on between them.

"Vegeta didn't do that?" Kakarott asked in confusion.

Bulma shook her head. _Great. I'm going to be explaining this away all day._

"As long as Vegeta didn't do that." Kakarott shrugged, accepting her story. "I know he really cares about you, but it's complicated. He can't mark you."

"What would be the problem if he had?" Bulma asked, slightly annoyed.

"It wouldn't necessarily be a problem." Kakarott replied. "Well, I don't think it would be. I think it would be great if he wanted to take you as his mate. I think you two are perfect for each other. The only reason it would be a problem is because traditionally Saiyans only mate with other Saiyans. And Vegeta being the Prince of our entire race, well, he'll be expected to take a Saiyan woman, like Asia, as his mate. If he ever does mark you in any way and his father happens to notice, he would be very upset."

"So you're saying that I wouldn't be accepted." Bulma said. She already knew much of everything Kakarott was trying to tell her. She had figured out a lot of it on her own from what Vegeta had mentioned to her here and there.

"No. You wouldn't. Not only that, but any children you might have won't be accepted as proper heirs either." Kakarott said, shaking his head in sympathy. "If he did take you as a mate, it would put you in a lot of danger."

"Yea, I know." Bulma nodded. "Things were quite a bit different on my planet. You could marry anyone you wanted so long as both parties were agreeable to it. In most cases, anyway."

"It's like that here too, sort of. A long as you take a Saiyan as your mate. In a case where Vegeta is concerned, class and strength is important. In my case, I don't rank as high, so I could take anyone I want. Most males look for a strong female so that their children will have a high fighting power." Kakarott explained. "I could even take you as a mate if we both wanted. It would be heavily frowned upon, but no one would stop us. The only major issue would be if we had any children, they would never have any place in our society other than being a slave. I know it's not fair, but unfortunately that's the way it is."

Bulma nodded. The more she thought about this, the more impossible it seemed. Sure, Vegeta might care about her, but it wasn't possible for them to be together. Anyway she looked at it she'd just end up being heartbroken or hurt. He had seemed so sure last night that things could work out for them. They just had to wait. So what should she do? Wait and hope on Vegeta or start distancing herself now so that she wouldn't be too disappointed later on? _Ugh, this is hopeless._ She thought to herself. It was then she noticed Kakarott was talking to someone on his scouter, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Okay, Vegeta. We'll catch up with you later then." Kakarott said into his scouter and disconnecting.

"What's that all about?" Bulma asked.

"Vegeta isn't meeting us for a while. He has to go meet with his father first. So I'll take you to see my father so you guys can start working. Vegeta will come get you later on." Kakarott said. "You ready to go?"

"I'm ready." Bulma nodded, getting up. She was a little disappointed that Vegeta wasn't able to come himself but if he had to be somewhere else, he had to be somewhere else.

"Great! Let's go!" Kakarott said, grabbing the door.

"Hey, can I go back to Amira's real quick on the way? She said she'd have some more clothes for me. It's on the way to the lab." Bulma asked. She was really excited to see how her new wardrobe had turned out.

"Sure. Why not?" Kakarott agreed, leading Bulma out of Vegeta's personal quarters. It didn't take them long to make it to Amira's work place.

"Hello, my dear!" Amira greeted. "Ready for your new wardrobe?"

"I am!" Bulma nodded excitedly.

"I put everything I have so far in this basket." She said, handing Bulma a huge basket. "I still have more to do, but this should last you a few days."

"Awesome! Thanks!" Bulma exclaimed, taking the basket from her.

"How did the Prince like your dress yesterday?" Amira asked.

"He liked it a lot." Bulma said, blushing.

"He must have. He marked you, didn't he?" She asked, referencing her wounded lip.

"What? No, I fell and bit it." Bulma lied. _Is everyone going to bring this up today?_ She thought to herself.

"I see." Amira replied with a raised eyebrow. "So he still hasn't made a move? This is very odd. Then why has he brought you here as a concubine if he has no intention of using you?"

"I don't know." Bulma shrugged. "It shouldn't matter anyway. What goes on is between us. Not anyone else."

"That's where you're wrong." Amira replied with a laugh. "It matters to everyone. I think you'll find now that you have a supposed close relationship with the Prince, it is anything but private."

"And why is that?" Bulma challenged.

"You're arrival has stirred a bit of an uproar," Amira said. "Do you know how many women would have killed for your position?"

"So I've heard." Bulma said, rolling her eyes.

"I like you, Bulma. I don't mean to pry. I was brought here as a slave too. I was just lucky enough to not end up in the harem because of my skills. I understand your confusion." Amira said, sensing the younger girl's agitation. "Just watch yourself. There will be a lot of jealous women out there and get used to people asking personal questions about the Prince. Do not trust anyone."

Bulma nodded. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure. This is a planet that thrives on strength. There is no room for weakness of any kind. You, I'm afraid, don't look like you have much in terms of physical strength. Everyone will find it odd that he has taken an interest in you in the first place, not to mention wonder how you've lasted so long." Amira explained.

"I told you yesterday. He's very considerate." Bulma said, feeling her face grow red again.

Amira shook her head. "He may be now. But don't be surprised later on when you get hurt and a few broken bones because he finally decides to use you for the reason he's keeping you around."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Bulma said, wanting to end this awkward conversation already.

"Come back in a few days." Amira said. "I have a few other projects that require my immediate attention, but come in a day or two and I'll have the rest of your wardrobe finished."

"Sounds good! I can't wait!" Bulma said turning to leave.

"Ready to go?" Kakarott asked.

"I am." Bulma said. She was really looking forward to getting to the lab. Finally! Something she was familiar with.

They were half way down the hallway when they ran into a tall, beautiful Saiyan woman.

"Hello, Kakarott." She said, stopping them.

"Umm. Hi, Asia." Kakarott replied nervously. This was not good…

"And who is this?" She asked looking pointedly at Bulma. "I saw you yesterday but never got the opportunity to actually meet you."

"Oh. I'm sorry. My name is Bulma. Bulma Briefs." Bulma replied, remembering not to extend her hand since no one here seemed to carry the same tradition.

"I see." Asia replied, looking Bulma over as if assessing her. "I'm Asia. Vegeta's fiancée." She enunciated just to make sure she got her point across.

"Oh. Okay." Bulma nodded. "Nice to know."

"What? Are you implying that Vegeta never mentioned me to you?" Asia growled angrily, taking a few steps closer to Bulma.

"Hmmmm.." Bulma replied tapping her chin with her right index finger and looking up and to the right as if trying to search through the recesses of her mind for some important piece of information. "Nope. I'm sorry. Doesn't ring a bell, I'm afraid."

"I don't believe you." Asia said defiantly. "We've been engaged for two years. I am his intended and will be the next queen when he takes the throne. There's no way he would have not mentioned me; especially to someone as weak and insignificant as you."

"He didn't," Bulma said innocently with a shrug. "He did mention at one point, what was it he said? Oh, right he had mentioned that "some bothersome wench" persisted in following him around in hopes of becoming his mate. That must be you then, I take it?"

"Why you little.." Asia raged walking closer to Bulma and raising her arm as if to strike her.

"That's enough!" Kakarott bellowed, stepping between Asia and Bulma.

"For a slave, she obviously hasn't learned her place yet." Asia objected.

"That's not for you to decide." Kakarott replied glaring at her.

"What does he see in her anyway?" Asia raged. "She's too small and delicate to be of any fun."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Bulma said, knowing it probably wasn't a good idea to provoke her yet continuing to anyway.

Asia smirked. "Well, just wait. Either he'll tire of you or break you in half one day. Then we'll see who's laughing."

"Alright." Bulma replied boldly. "Until then, I guess."

"Let's go." Kakarott said, escorting Bulma away from Asia before things got ugly.

"Watch yourself, little one." Asia taunted. "Until next time."

Bulma just smiled back sweetly in reply and followed Kakarott down the hallway toward Bardock's lab.

"That wasn't smart to taunt her." Kakarott said once they'd turned a corner and were well away from Asia.

"I know." Bulma sighed. "I just couldn't help it. She was just so condescending."

"I know, but she's not a nice person. She could have seriously hurt you." Kakarott warned.

"I'll keep my distance." Bulma said.

"Good! The last thing we need is for you to provoke Asia into hurting you. She's very manipulative. She won't forget what you said." Kakarott replied, opening the door to the lab.

_**MEANWHILE** _

Asia seethed as she continued down the hallway towards Amira's to pick up another new dress. She had decided to have some new ones made once she had found out that Lord Frieza was coming for a visit. Usually that meant there would be a banquet every night. She couldn't afford to look plain. Especially since Vegeta now had a bed slave. As much as Asia hated to admit it, the girl was absolutely gorgeous, which just made her even angrier. He couldn't have just found some average-looking girl with a decent body?

She was so weak! Asia had tried to measure her up and couldn't, concluding that the girl couldn't have much more of a fighting power than that of a house pet. What could possibly be the attraction if he couldn't be with her without possibly breaking her?

It angered her even more at the possibility that Vegeta either hadn't mentioned her or had spoken poorly of her to this girl. She wasn't sure what to believe. Either way, she needed to let this girl know that there was no competition. She would come out on top and that was that. She just needed to find a way to get rid of her.

She reached Amira's and decided to let the matter drop for now. She'd have plenty of time to plot the blue-haired girl's demise later on.

"Hello, Asia!" Amira greeted cheerfully.

"Hello, Amira." Asia greeted. "Did you get a chance to finish any of the dresses I had requested for next week?"

"I did." Amira nodded. "I have two done for you. One I need you to try on again and the other two I haven't had the chance to start on yet."

"Alright. Let me put it on." Asia said taking the unfinished dress from the seamstress. "What's taking you so long? Usually you have everything done within a day or two."

"I do apologize." Amira said. "I have been very busy. The Prince's royal concubine needed a new wardrobe so I quickly whipped her up a few things."

"Really?" Asia huffed. "And what's your opinion of her?"

Amira shrugged, not sure how involved she wanted to get into this. "She seems like a nice girl, extremely delicately built. I don't understand why the Prince would have chosen her. However, stranger things have happened."

"I met her briefly on my way here. I think she's a mouthy little thing." Asia said still seething over their encounter.

"She is confident. That's for sure." Amira agreed. "Wherever she came from, she was no slave. She carries herself well. Maybe that's the appeal."

"I don't know, Amira. But I have to find a way to be rid of her." Asia growled, coming out of the dressing room. "I will not have my mate fooling around with other women. It is wrong."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, my dear." Amira replied starting to place pins where the dress needed to be taken in.

"Why do you say that?" Asia asked, suddenly interested. Maybe Amira had something she could use.

"Well, he hasn't actually been with her. You know that, right?" Amira replied.

"No. How could I know that? They've been together for at least a week. And she is beautiful. Why would you guess that he hasn't had her?" Asia asked hopefully. _This could be interesting._

"Well, I noted how delicate she was and I asked her how she had lasted a full week with the Prince, seeing as she's as delicate as she is and her reply was that he was "Considerate." When I noted that he must not have taken her yet she got all embarrassed." Amira replied. "She turned even a darker shade of red and didn't deny it when I mentioned that they obviously hadn't been intimate then. "

"So, he's taken her as a concubine but hasn't done anything with her yet?" Asia said in confusion.

"That's the impression I'm under." Amira replied.

"But why?" Asia asked. "What would be the point in that?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure you have nothing to worry about where she's concerned." Amira said. "He can't be that interested in her if he's not using her."

"Perhaps." Asia replied. "It doesn't make sense though."

"It doesn't." Amira agreed.

"Unless maybe he really likes her." Asia said. "I saw the way he looked at her when they arrived yesterday. I didn't like it. He also insisted she stay with him in his personal quarters rather than with the other pleasure slaves."

"It's probably nothing more than an infatuation then." Amira said, looking over the finishing touches she pinned into the dress. "If he's not using her as a bed slave, he'll either tire of her and dismiss her or use her one night and either break her or be bored."

"My thoughts exactly. Something that breakable can't be much of any fun." Asia smirked. "In any case, I'll have to keep my eye on her."

"I honestly think you're over reacting, dear." Amira replied. "You can take that one off now."

"We'll see." Asia shrugged, walking to the change room to change again. _Well this was a fruitful morning. Now to find a way to use this information to my advantage._ She thought with a grin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement _._

_**CHAPTER 8** _

Bulma and Bardock had worked all day on reproducing the capsules. It hadn't taken them long to finish the prototype and by the middle of the afternoon they had over a dozen capsules done. They worked extremely well together.

"This is amazing, Bulma!" Bardock exclaimed. "I can't even begin to imagine how much this will help us! We can start moving weapons first thing tomorrow morning at this rate!"

"Glad to have been able to help!" Bulma replied with a smile.

"The King will be very impressed with the progress we have made today!"

Bulma nodded. "Good, I hope so. You worked hard on them." She replied, looking down at her hands. She really was hoping he'd be happy with the progress they'd made, but she knew no matter how impressed the King may be with her capsule technology or anything else she'd do, it wouldn't change the fact that she was a slave. Vegeta hadn't said much on the issue, but she knew from what little he had told her that she still wouldn't be accepted as anything more.

"Is everything alright?" Bardock asked, noticing the change in her demeanor.

"Yes. I'm fine." Bulma said with a nod and her best smile.

"You worked just as hard on this as well," Bardock reasoned. "You deserve even more credit on it as it was your design to begin with. We would still be running around in a panic over Lord Frieza's coming visit if it weren't for you."

"I know," Bulma said in agreement. "and I'm so glad I've been able to help. I like you, I like your son and I want to help Vegeta in any way I can. I just don't see how the King will be impressed enough to change his mind."

"It's slim," Bardock agreed. "but stranger things have happened. What you have given to us is ingenious and invaluable and we could not have accomplished it without you. He cannot ignore that."

Bulma nodded. Her anxiety at not having seen or heard from Vegeta all day starting to build no matter how many times she kept reassuring herself she was just being ridiculous. She knew he had been called to see his father this morning on his way back to take her to Bardock's lab. She felt guilty for even thinking it, but what if his father had convinced him that she wasn't worthy of his affections?

She knew she was being completely irrational. However, she also knew the odds were against her. Sure Vegeta cared for her, but it wasn't in his interest to pursue her any further. She knew that. She wouldn't even hold a grudge against him if he came to tell her that. It wouldn't make it hurt any less though. The feelings she had quickly developed for him both scared her and excited her. Never had she felt the feelings he had seemed to evoke. Sure she'd had crushes in the past. She'd had a long term three-year relationship with Yamcha even. She had loved him. Or so she had thought. What she felt for Vegeta made everything else pale in comparison. She didn't know why and she couldn't justify it. She just knew what she felt for him wasn't something she could easily forget or move on from.

If his admission to her last night had been true, she knew he felt the same way. She didn't doubt that. What she worried about was that his duty might over rule what he really wanted and destroy what they both felt for one another. She understood if that was the choice he made, but damn it would hurt her in a way that scared her. Then what would she do? Be damned to have to live out her life seeing him with someone like Asia? Someone who was considered an "appropriate" choice? What kind of life would that be for either of them? She knew he would make sure she was alright if it came to it and find her some place decent to work and she would rather that than be known forever as the "other woman". Bulma would never be able to handle that. She would rather not have him at all than be reduced to that.

"Are you alright?" Bardock asked. "You seem troubled."

"It's nothing, really." Bulma replied, shaking her head. "The King just scares me a little is all. Vegeta made it very clear that he's not happy with my arrival."

"You are right, King Vegeta can be very intimidating." Bardock agreed with a heavy sigh. "He will be watching you and his son very carefully."

"I know." Bulma nodded. "Vegeta warned me."

"Do not do anything to draw attention to yourself outside of your accomplishments here," Bardock warned. "He may not even appreciate your talents for all we know. He has never appreciated scientific and technological advancement the way his son seems to have over the years. I will do my best to shed as much light on the potential you could have to help us grow technologically so that he does not dwell on the fact that you share a bed with his son. But even that is no guarantee. The King is not stupid. He will figure out eventually that Vegeta is not using you for what he says he is. That may not go over well."

"What difference does it make?" Bulma asked. "Everyone keeps bringing this up."

"If the Prince is not using you as a bed slave, the King will grow suspicious that he may be developing feelings for you." Bardock said quietly, even though no one else was in the lab to hear their discussion. "I know that he feels something for you. That much is obvious. The way he looks at you. Even the way he talks about you. I knew he was infatuated when he first came to me after meeting you and told me of the technology you knew about."

Bulma blushed. "I don't think he cares that much." She lied, not sure who she was trying to convince: Bardock to keep up the front Vegeta had warned her to keep or herself so that she wouldn't get hurt if he decided to end things with her.

"If that mark on your lip is any indication, I'd say the Prince cares for you very much." Bardock said nodding at her face.

 _And here I thought he was the only one who wouldn't badger me about that today!_ Bulma thought to herself, her face growing red at the reminder of last night. "I fell and bit it yesterday by accident."

Bardock shook his head. "If that's your story, I will not pry. But make sure he does not mark you in any such way where it is visible. If the King saw that, it would be to your detriment. Do you even know what that means?" he asked pointing to her mouth.

"Vegeta mentioned something about during a Saiyan mating ritual the male will bite the female to warn others off that she is taken." Bulma replied.

"Yes, that is part of it. It is a pride thing. I cannot believe he would have been so foolish to leave a mark on you that could not be covered up." Bardock said, shaking his head again. "Since you haven't been intimate and he's still marked you, this is a very dangerous situation for you both."

"How does everyone know that?" Bulma asked, annoyed that something so personal seemed to be an open book to everyone else.

"For one, not all males are gentle with their bed partners in the throes of passion," Bardock replied, awkwardly. "You, being non-Saiyan and very delicate in build, are at great risk of being hurt even if the Prince is considerate. I know Vegeta very well, and I know he would never intentionally hurt you; it is not in his nature. He is too controlled to allow it, but it is a possibility all the same. People will begin to speculate over that. Alien bed slaves tend to not last very long for that reason alone."

Bulma nodded and didn't say anything in reply. This was the second person to warn her. Maybe she should be grateful. At least Bardock seemed to share her belief in that Vegeta wouldn't harm her intentionally.

"The other reason is a lot more personal," Bardock continued, feeling even more awkward. He didn't want to discuss this, but how else would the girl know? "If the two of you had been intimate, you would carry the other's scent on you."

"Scent?" Bulma asked, confused. "I showered this morning, so if we had done anything, no one would know either way."

"No," Bardock shook his head. "You two have been dwelling together for a week or so now. Had you been intimate, you would carry his scent on you no matter how much you showered. He would carry yours as well."

"Ugh. That's different." Bulma said, thinking this through. "So that's how everyone knows. Like a pheromone scent?"

"Yes, very similar to that. You obviously don't share our same sense of smell, so you wouldn't know." Bardock said, glad that she was smart enough to have caught on to that.

"So, does it smell bad? Like, is it the kind of thing that if we had been intimate and I came here smelling like him, would it be repulsive?" She asked, trying to understand.

"No, not repulsive." Bardock said shaking his head, not knowing how to explain it to her properly. "You would just smell like Vegeta and I would know."

Bulma wrinkled her nose at the thought. That seemed horrible! Not to mention embarrassing that everyone would know so easily something so personal.

"It's not as bad as you think." Bardock reassured her, chuckling at the funny look on her face. "It works much in the same way that if another male found you attractive and you had the scent of the Prince all over you, they would not pursue you any further because they would know that you belong to him."

"Much the same that if he marked me on my neck, they would know that I'm taken." Bulma replied, starting to understand.

"Exactly the same." Bardock nodded.

"Things are so different here than from where I'm from." She mused.

"How do people identify mates where you are from?" Bardock asked, genuinely interested. "Most of the other races that I know of on this side of the galaxy have the same rituals as ours."

Bulma shrugged. By comparison to Earth rituals, everything she had learned in the last few weeks about Saiyan rituals were so much more permanent. It made her feel silly to even tell him. "On my planet, when two people decide to commit to each other, traditionally there is a ceremony, rings are exchanged and paperwork signed. You wear your ring on your left hand, on your ring finger and that is a public declaration that you are unavailable." She explained, holding up her left hand and pointing up her ring finger.

Bardock frowned. "That is it?" He asked.

"That's it." Bulma nodded, feeling silly. "There were even people on my planet that made personal commitments to each other and just lived together and didn't go through the hassle of a marriage ceremony and all that."

"But, rings can be taken off; and paperwork can be destroyed." Bardock objected. "What kind of declaration is that?"

Bulma smiled, remembering how Vegeta had had the exact same reaction to Earth marriage rituals when she had explained it to him one day on the ship. "I know. I don't disagree with you. Sometimes, years down the line, couples split up if the relationship doesn't work out for numerous reasons and move on to find someone else. Not to say that happens to everyone. There are those that stay together until the other passes."

"That is how it should be!" Bardock exclaimed. "Why else would you not stay with your chosen mate?"

"Oh, wow!" Bulma said with a laugh. "Many reasons."

"I cannot think of one reason why I would leave my mate. We have been together over thirty years. Do tell me." Bardock insisted with a frown.

"Okay. Well, in cases where one person isn't faithful to the other. That's a huge reason why a couple would no longer stay together." Bulma answered.

"Understood." Bardock nodded. "That is not common in our race, but not unheard of. In cases of an arranged marriage, it happens, but not a reason for separation. It is either tolerated or a fight ensues and depending on the winner either the couple stays together or the other person takes the other's mate."

"Alright. Umm. Sometimes people split over the desire for children. If one wants children and the other doesn't and they can't agree, then they split." Bulma told him.

"That is silly. Who doesn't want to produce offspring?" Bardock asked with a frown.

"Many don't in my culture for whatever reason or other. There are many who have had children and made horrible parents and they should have never reproduced." Bulma said with a laugh. "Sometimes one mate wants children and the other can't reproduce, I've heard of couples leaving over that. People split over financial issues, domestic abuse, and different desired living arrangements; or even because they were too young to make the commitment and they grew apart. Like I said; many reasons."

"That is understandable, but there is always a way to make things right with your mate." Bardock said.

"I tend to agree. That's how it should be. " Bulma said. "But I had a boyfriend back home before Earth was destroyed. I loved him very much, but deep down I knew he wasn't the one for me."

"How did you know?" Bardock asked, very interested in knowing about her background.

"He wasn't faithful." Bulma simply replied.

"Excuse me for speaking so boldly, but what kind of man wouldn't be faithful to you?" Bardock asked in shock. "You are both brilliant and stunning."

"Thank you." Bulma said blushing. "I didn't give myself fully to him so he sought it elsewhere."

"And you loved this man."

"I thought I did." Bulma replied. It was good to talk about this. She hadn't since her home was destroyed. Not even to Vegeta.

"So, why didn't you want to give yourself fully to him?" Bardock asked, genuinely wanting to know more about her.

"I don't honestly know." She replied truthfully. "Maybe some part of me knew we weren't meant to be. All I know is that I wasn't ready to be intimate with him and he got angry and sought that elsewhere. After that, I just wasn't interested in being with him in that way. The more he pressured me, the less interested I was with that aspect of our relationship, I guess."

"So you weren't bound to him in anyway so you stayed why?" Bardock asked.

"I don't know. I enjoyed his company." Bulma shrugged, still trying to rationalize it herself. "I guess I always thought I couldn't do better than him."

"And why would you think that?"

"I don't know. I just did. And then my planet was destroyed, I was taken and sold to a tavern and met Vegeta shortly after my arrival and he turned my whole world upside down." Bulma said with a smile at the memory. "I was so sad and broken and then I met him and he made me feel like no one else has ever made me feel that first evening. All we did was sit and visit. He could have easily taken advantage of me but he didn't. I just felt so comfortable with him. When he left he gave me a huge sum of money for me to put towards buying my way out of there. I was so amazed, I cried when I got back to my room. Then he came back for me a week later and now I'm head over heels."

Bardock nodded. "You were wise to not give yourself to this one you were with before. If he could not be true to you, then he did not deserve you." Bardock said. "The Prince may not always be kind or be able to tell you his true feelings, but he would never be unfaithful."

"I know." Bulma said blushing. "I sense that in him. I feel guilty for falling for him as hard as I have so quickly. I was with Yamcha for three years! I have only been with Vegeta over a week. That's absurd!"

"Not in our culture." Bardock reassured. "In our culture, a courtship only lasts a few weeks."

"Vegeta told me that." Bulma said, nodding. "Why is that? I mean, if it's so serious, why not take the time to make sure you are committing to the right person?"

"It doesn't take us long to figure that out." Bardock said simply. "We just know. And then a mental and emotional bond is formed. It is unbreakable."

"I like that." Bulma said.

"What?"

"This mental bond both you and Vegeta have mentioned. It sounds beautiful. Humans don't have that kind of capability. You Saiyans are so hard and almost brutal but I think it's amazing that even with that demeanor, once you find that one you are supposed to be with, that's it and that's how it stays. On my planet, during the ceremony, one of the vows is to stay together till death do you part. Very rarely does it happen on my planet, but I do believe in it." Bulma said. "That's part of why I didn't fully give myself to Yamcha. I only want to give that part of myself to that one special someone. I thought for a long time it would be him, despite the way things were going, but deep down, I think I always knew."

"And why do you think that now?" Bardock asked.

"I don't know. I just do. The things I feel for Vegeta I can't even begin to describe and that scares me." Bulma explained. "I almost gave myself to him the first night we were together after he got me out of that tavern. It wasn't a conscious decision. I just feel comfortable and safe around him. One thing just seemed to lead to another really quickly and once I realized how fast things were moving, it freaked me out and I asked him to stop and he did. He didn't even hesitate. He didn't make me feel bad or anything. We just went to sleep and he held me all night and it's been like that every night since then.

"I know everyone keeps saying I might get hurt or have broken bones or he might break me in half, but I trust him that he won't. I care very deeply for him and when he decides, I will gladly give myself to him; and I feel guilty for feeling that way. I shouldn't. I haven't known him that long enough to be able to make that decision. I denied Yamcha for three years. It was a huge bone of contention in our relationship that I wasn't intimate with him. He would get angry. With Vegeta, not only did he respect that but he wasn't angry and didn't make me feel bad about it. He's been very respectful and hasn't tried to push for anything further, yet if he did, I would give into him without second thought."

"So you denied someone for three years who was unfaithful and disrespectful of your wishes to begin with and now you found someone worthy you want to share yourself with. What is the shame in that?" Bardock asked.

"I was with him for three years. I've known Vegeta less than a month. I don't regret what I feel for Vegeta. It's something amazing and real." Bulma tried to explain. "It frightens me because I know I won't be accepted by Saiyan standards. I don't want to cause a problem, but I don't want to be hurt if he decides to do the right thing especially since I'm in no position to leave and get away being that I am a slave. I'm stuck here. This is turning into a mess and I don't understand a lot of it. I only know bits and pieces of your culture and what's acceptable and what's not. I feel like I'm stuck on a freight train and can't jump off. "

"If Vegeta were any other Saiyan than our Prince, it would be fine. It would not be ideal and there would be those that would not approve, but it would work between you two." Bardock said. "However, Vegeta being Vegeta, he'll do what he wants. He always has and he always will. Whatever he decides will be the right thing in his mind. Trust him."

"Even if his father gets angry and threatens the worst?" Bulma asked.

Bardock nodded. "If Vegeta has decided you are his woman, you will be his woman. No amount of grief from his father will dissuade him. He has always made his own path no matter what his father or anyone else advises. He is also very loyal and does not take oaths or commitments lightly. If he says he will do something, he will do everything in his power to uphold it."

Bulma nodded. She sure hoped Bardock was right. She knew she was being very selfish, but she couldn't help how she felt.

"Forgive me, I know this is none of my business, but has he already made a commitment to you?" Bardock asked.

"He has, verbally but I'm not supposed to discuss it with anyone. I'm sorry, I've already said too much. I can't believe I even told you as much as I have, but I'm so confused and I have no one to talk to. Please don't tell Vegeta." Bulma said, with a heavy sigh, resting her head in her hands. She had promised Vegeta she wouldn't speak to anyone about their situation and here in a matter of minutes spilled everything to Bardock without a second thought.

"Do not worry. Whatever is said in this room stays in this room I can assure you that. Your Prince has come to me and confessed many of the terrible things he has endured under Lord Frieza's service and I have never repeated a word of it to no one, nor will I ever. Not even to his father, who has asked me repeatedly what happened to his son. As his father and our King, he has a right to know what his son was subjected to, but at the same time, it is not my place to repeat such things." Bardock said, trying to reassure her. "I will not repeat anything you have told me today. I understand you must be confused about a great number of things and you've lost your home and planet and everything then ended up here in a short period of time. That cannot be easy."

"Thank you, Bardock." Bulma said with a relieved smile. "I just don't want to betray him in any way and I feel like I've just done that."

"No you haven't. You've been through a lot and haven't had the chance to process everything."

"That's true." Bulma nodded. "I'm just so confused and scared by everything. I'm afraid for what I'm feeling in such a short amount of time. I'm afraid of the King. I'm afraid of Asia."

"Do not be afraid." Bardock said, shaking his head. "Vegeta, Kakarott and I will make sure no harm comes to you. You also must not show any fear in front of them; the King especially. He will be able to pick up on it. Asia will be able to as well, but just avoid her at all costs. She is no threat to you in terms of where the Prince is concerned. She has been relentlessly chasing him for the last two years and hasn't gotten anywhere with him. She is manipulative and has spread rumors all over the empire to deter anyone else from even trying to pursue him. Vegeta will never take her as a mate. You have nothing to fear there."

"Yea, Vegeta has told me that he has no use for her. I believe him, but she's still pretty scary. We ran into her this morning and she promptly informed me that she was his fiancée." Bulma said.

"She tells everyone that. Just stay away from her." Bardock said shaking his head.

"I intend to." Bulma sighed. The last thing she wanted was to get into a cat fight with her.

"Good. She is manipulative and will say anything to discredit you. The less you say to her the less ammunition she will have to twist to your disadvantage." Bardock advised. "I don't know why the King hasn't seen it. His son sure does and he would rather remain without a mate than to take someone as treacherous as her."

"I know. He's pretty much said that." Bulma chuckled. Vegeta certainly hadn't hidden his distaste for Asia from her.

"Well, I believe we are done here for the day." Bardock said, getting up from his work station. "I will take our progress to the King first thing tomorrow morning so that they can start moving weapons. I will try to convince the King that I need your further assistance tomorrow and we can find another project to start on."

"Sounds good, Bardock!" Buma said, lighting up. She was happy to have helped out with the capsules but she was anxious to get into a new project and learn about some of the technology they had here that she could learn from and who knows, maybe improve it further? "I'll wait for you tomorrow then? I'm not allowed to walk about the palace alone according to Vegeta."

"He is right. It is too dangerous. I wouldn't put it past Asia to somehow put you in danger either by her own hand or stage a convenient accident." Bardock nodded in agreement.

"Yea, he's warned me sufficiently about many different scenarios."

"I can escort you back to the Prince's personal quarters and come down in the morning after I speak with the King if you like?" Bardock offered.

"Sure. I'd like that." Bulma nodded, grabbing her basket of new clothes. "I'll let Vegeta know if I even see him today."

"You will. Do not worry about that. He has much to do right now, especially to prepare for Lord Frieza's arrival at the end of the week. You may not see much of him in the next few days." Bardock reassured. "Do not be put off if he is distant or irritable more than usual. He carries a very heavy burden from serving under Lord Frieza. The things he was made to endure are things no one should ever have to and the hate he feels towards him is something I don't know if he can ever let go. So do not take it personally if he is distant."

"I understand." Bulma nodded. She felt so bad for him. He seemed like such a decent guy. He had so much honor and yet he'd been through so much so young. She herself was only 18 and she didn't think he was much more than a year or two older than her.

"As well, if he does indeed have any affection for you, he will need to bury it away. Frieza likes to pick on him. It is a sick obsession. If he caught wind that you meant anything at all to him other than a slave, it would put you in great danger."

"Well, I can't wait until something is done about him. I haven't seen him but he destroyed my home planet and it makes me sick some of the things I've heard him do to both Vegeta and Kakarott. It's amazing they are both such decent men. I gave Vegeta my word that I would help in any way I can to destroy this person. He must be stopped."

Bardock frowned at the mention of his son. "I could not agree more. My son has suffered much as well. Not as bad at the Prince, but still more than any parent should ever know. We must find a way to get rid of him and help Vegeta. We must also keep you hidden. I fear that if Lord Frieza even finds out about your presence, it will still give him ammunition to use against Vegeta. Should something happen to you, I think it would push him over the edge of sanity. As it is, he seems to be on the very borderline at times."

Bulma shook her head. Who would want to be so cruel and vicious? What had Vegeta ever done to anyone to deserve that kind of treatment? It just seemed like the whole universe was against him.

"He hasn't cared for anyone since his mother passed and the only other time he opened up to someone, it was exploited in the worst way possible. I had feared that between his father and Lord Frieza that the capability to care for anyone beside himself had been beaten out of him."

"That is so sad." Bulma murmured. "Why would his father contribute to that?"

"The pain the King felt after his mate passed only made him bitter and angry. He reasoned that had he taken a mate he did not care for that things would have been better. Ever since she passed, he tried to beat any kindness and compassion out of his son." Bardock explained. "Since he got out of Frieza's service two years ago, he has been a very angry young man, keeping himself shut out to most everyone for the exception of Kakarott and myself. Not that anyone could blame him, but the young boy that left Vegeta-sei to learn under Lord Frieza was all but ruined. I think you've somehow found what little caring he has left."

"That's terrible. I knew he had been through a lot. Kakarott told me a little, but I had no idea." Bulma said. "I hope I can be a good influence on him, but if I cause him nothing but stress from his father, then how can I be good for him?"

"Just be there for him. Be patient. He is not an easy person to be around." Bardock said simply. He had a really good feeling about her. He had only known Bulma for two days and could understand what the Prince had seen in her. Obviously she was beautiful, but there was more to it than that. She was a very kind, caring girl who wasn't quick to judge and had a very calm serene demeanor about her. She was highly intelligent and he could tell she wouldn't be quick to walk away from a challenge. On the outside she may be very fragile and delicate, but on the inside, he could tell she was an extremely strong individual. If she had only been a Saiyan, she would have been the perfect mate for Vegeta.

Bardock didn't doubt that this had crossed Vegeta's mind. He wasn't sure what they were going to do, but it wasn't going to be an easy road to happiness for them. If they both wanted it bad enough, anything was possible but it wouldn't be easy. He would do his best to be there for them and advise them but there was only so much he could do. What he did know was that he would ensure to his best ability that nothing happen to Bulma. He had never had a daughter, but he would protect her like she was his own. The same went for the Prince. He wasn't his son, but he had been there for the young troubled Prince more than his own father had been and Bardock had come to care for Vegeta as much as he did his own two sons. No matter what, these two would always have him in their corner as an advisor and confidante.

"I will do my best to be there for him." Bulma said. "Whatever he needs, I'll do my best."

"I know you will." Bardock smiled at her. "Ready to head back?"

"I am." Bulma nodded. They had worked almost all day and she was tired.

Bardock locked up his lab and escorted her back to Vegeta's personal quarters for the evening.

_**EARLIER IN THE DAY** _

Vegeta silently cursed to himself as he headed into the council room. He had just spent the better part of two hours arguing with his father and now he would have to sit through a long boring meeting with the elders of the planet. He just wanted to go back and see how Bulma was. He hadn't seen her since he left that morning and she had still been asleep. He should have just stayed with her until she woke.

He hoped that she hadn't thought that he was avoiding her after what had happened last night. He had only left early to get in an extra training session. He needed to get stronger to achieve Legendary status so that he would be able to take her as his mate and if anyone had an objection to it, he would simply blast them away. He knew with Bulma at his side, he could accomplish anything. Once he was the Legendary, he would take the throne for himself, take his queen of choice and rid the Universe of Frieza once and for all. Then he would be the most powerful warrior in the Universe and no one would dare stand up against him. He would rule his planet the way he wanted. Make treaties with the planets he wanted and live in peace with his beautiful mate. _Yes, that would be the perfect life._ He thought to himself with a smirk.

If only he could keep her safe until then. His father had been on his case again this morning about not wanting to take Asia as a mate. The old bastard even had the nerve to criticize him that he hasn't been using Bulma as a bed slave. That angered Vegeta more than anything. It wasn't anyone's business. He can't believe he had been so dumb as to not consider that beforehand that it would be blatantly obvious, but there wasn't anything he could do about it anyway. He wasn't about to send her away and he certainly wasn't going to force himself on her. Although at this point, he knew she would be more than willing. He just couldn't risk losing control and bonding with her right now.

Vegeta walked into the council room and took his usual seat beside where his father sat on the end. What a waste of time this would be. He wondered how Bulma and Bardock were progressing with the capsule project. He sought out her small energy signal. She was in the lab with Bardock. That was good. Hopefully he could get out of this meeting quickly and go see her, even if only for a few minutes. Boy did he feel like a fool. What had that girl done to him that he couldn't go a few hours without seeing her? This was not good. He knew he had to watch himself. If he didn't, his father would get more suspicious than he already was. The fact that he pointed out to him that he knew they hadn't been intimate yet meant he would be watching them both very closely.

Vegeta growled as he saw Asia walk in and take a seat next to him. Why did she have to be here?

"Good morning, Vegeta." She greeted him.

Vegeta didn't even acknowledge her, much to her displeasure.

"I had the pleasure of meeting your little bed slave this morning." Asia said, knowing that would get a response from him.

"You did, did you?" Vegeta replied, trying his best to seem uninterested.

"I did. She was walking around with Kakarott this morning. Very lovely girl." Asia said sweetly.

Again, Vegeta didn't give her a response. How had they managed to run in to her this morning? He had been very specific that they were to go straight from his quarters to the lab.

"Tell me, how is it you happened to come by her? Something so delicate and breakable can't be much fun for you, unless you are only keeping her as a bed ornament and nothing more. Not a very good whore in my opinion."

"She is no whore." Vegeta said with clenched teeth. She was really wearing his patience thin.

"I thought you and Kakarott said you found her in a whore house somewhere." Asia said, trying to get a rise out of him. Maybe if she reminded him of the fact that she was a whore and obviously not a useful one at that, maybe he would cast her aside. The information that Amira had given her that morning that Vegeta hasn't used his bed slave had renewed her confidence and sitting next to him and not being able to smell her on him only confirmed Amira's story.

"It does not matter where I found her. She is none of your concern."

"I think she is very much my concern. As your future mate, I have every right to be concerned." Asia reminded him.

"I do not have a future mate." Vegeta growled.

"Really? I'm under the impression that's what you must have told her. Is that how you got her to come away with you in the first place? By hiding that crucial piece of information?" Asia asked, still infuriated by what Bulma had said to her that morning.

"What are you on about, woman?" Vegeta asked, irritably.

"She had no idea who I was when I introduced myself to her." Asia said shortly. "Not to worry though, I set her straight on our relationship. I doubt she'll come willingly to you now."

Vegeta frowned. He was really curious to speak to Bulma and find out what had been said. Had she simply pretended she hadn't heard of Asia? Vegeta hid a chuckle with great difficulty at the thought of this encounter. He knew Bulma could hold her own both verbally and mentally against Asia. It was physically that worried him. Asia could take her out with the flick of her wrist if she really wanted to. Thankfully Kakarott had been with her.

"I failed to mention you because there is no need. I have tried to make this clear to you on many occasions that you will not be my mate. So therefore, I have hid nothing from her."

"That's not true and you know it. You have no choice but to take me. There is no one else." Asia seethed. "Not to worry, as I said, I set her straight in where I stand in your life."

"What? As a desperate, bothersome wench who won't leave me alone?" Vegeta replied, sounding bored.

Asia gasped. That was the exact phrase Bulma had used this morning when alluding to her. So it was true. Vegeta had spoken badly of her in front of this girl. Asia wasn't sure what was worse; that or the possibility of him not mentioning her at all. As far as she was concerned, the gloves were off now. She had tried to be nice, follow the King's advice about not being bothered by the fact that Vegeta had taken a bed slave, but this was it. She had to find a way to be rid of her.

Vegeta smirked at Asia's non response. Something had struck a nerve there. He really wanted to know what Bulma had said to her to make Asia this angry. He really wished he had been there to witness the encounter first hand.

King Vegeta came in and sat down, followed by Paragus and three other council members.

"Lord Frieza arrives at the end of the week. We don't have much time to prepare." The King said.

"What have we done about moving the weapons?" One of the council members asked.

"I have that taken care of." Vegeta replied. "We should be able to start moving them tomorrow. I will know the full extent of the progress made by the end of the day and inform you all first thing tomorrow."

The King frowned slightly, knowing that his son had left this extremely important matter in the hands of his bed slave. How ridiculous! They were all at the mercy of a woman and her capabilities. He didn't like it. He didn't like that his son put so much faith in a mere bed slave. Maybe all the years of whatever he had endured in Frieza's service had left him mentally inept. In any case, he decided to let it be. If she failed then it might shake his son's obvious infatuation of her and maybe he would just set her aside or even better, do away with her. It would be a hard lesson for his son, but a good one. Never trust a whore.

"Very well, my Son. I leave that with you in your capable hands." The King replied.

Vegeta growled inwardly at the way that comment had been directed. He knew Bulma would come through for them. She knew what she was doing. Even Bardock had been excited by the possibilities. They had gotten everything ready to be able to reproduce the capsules today so there was no reason for him to think otherwise.

"Now for the matter of arranging everything else for Lord Frieza's visit," The King started, dismissing the issue about the weapons all together. "I don't know how long Lord Frieza is planning on staying, but we need to plan for every possibility."

Vegeta allowed his concentration to wander. He couldn't think of anything more boring than discussing Frieza's arrival. He wished he could leave to go check on Bulma and Bardock's progress or even go train for a few hours would be a more valuable use of his time then sitting here discussing the logistics of Frieza's visit.

How he wished he could just blast that arrogant tyrant lizard and his entourage away the moment they set foot on Vegeta-sei. It was bad enough that Frieza was coming, but he had heard that Frieza was bringing along Zarbon, his right hand man and first lieutenant, Dodoria and the whole Ginyu Force. All the people he hated most in this universe. He was going to do everything he could to spend as little time with them all as possible not to mention it was crucial to keep Bulma hidden from them. They were all vile. Every single one of them. Unfortunately, there were maybe only two out of five members of the Ginyu force he knew he could easily take out. The rest, he wasn't so sure. It had been a long time since he had seen them all. He knew he had grown in strength and power, but they may have too, so best not to underestimate them. He might be able to defeat Dodoria, but knew he wasn't ready to take on Zarbon or Captain Ginyu. _One day._ He thought to himself. One _day I will take out each and every single one of them and repay them in kind for all the horrors and atrocities they had all subjected me to so that no one ever has to suffer by them again._

He hadn't paid attention to a thing that was said for the past while until Asia's voice and the mention of Bulma's name pulled him out of his line of thought.

"I think it's a great idea! Well? What do you think, Prince Vegeta?" one of the council members asked him.

"About what?" Vegeta asked, embarrassed at being caught not paying attention.

"Asia has just informed us that this bed slave of yours is a talented singer and dancer. We will need some kind of entertainment for the nightly banquets while Lord Frieza is visiting us. Why not put her skills to use?" The King said, catching Vegeta up.

"Absolutely not!" Vegeta replied.

"And why not?" Asia asked, sweetly. "Raditz told me all about what an amazing performer she was. She must have been something to catch your eye. Not to mention her exotic features. I think she would be perfect!"

"I must say, I agree with Asia's line of thinking." The King injected. This was a grand idea! What better way to get rid of this blue-haired nuisance who had bewitched his son than to flaunt her in front of Lord Frieza. She was stunningly gorgeous. There was no doubt he would be interested in acquiring her for himself. The thought had crossed his mind yesterday but he wasn't sure how to go about it. This would be the obvious way to do it without making it too obvious to his son.

"Well I don't." Vegeta spat. "She is my personal concubine. Not some attraction to be paraded around throughout the whole empire and Frieza and his lackeys."

"But we haven't gotten any new talented courtesans or entertainers in the last several months; nothing of any interest or uniqueness since Lord Frieza's last visit." One of the advisors protested. "I don't know what this girl of yours can do, but I certainly didn't miss her attractiveness when you escorted her off your ship yesterday. Her looks alone would make her presence a success."

"Raditz said she can sing and dance. I think it's perfect." Asia insisted.

"And I think it is absolutely ridiculous." Vegeta seethed. "I will not allow it."

"But I will and that will be the end of it." The King replied angrily glaring at his son.

"Father, I cannot allow her to.." Vegeta argued.

"Enough. She will perform or I will put an end to her." The King bellowed. "You need to learn to not be so possessive of your belongings; especially a bed slave. It is not fit for a prince."

Vegeta made a fist and stood up to leave. "Fine." He snapped. "But she is to perform on stage only and nothing more. No introductions. Nothing." He said and walked out in a rage.

Asia smirked. This was the best idea she had ever come up with! Maybe she could find a way to petition Lord Frieza herself and imply that she was for sale. Wouldn't that be perfect? She glanced at the King and the look he gave her indicated that he was thinking the same thing.

"Well, now that's settled, we have other matters to discuss." The King said, moving on.

Asia didn't tune into the rest of the council meeting. She was too busy gloating over this small victory today. Yes, she had accomplished much today. She could hardly wait till the end of the week for Lord Frieza's arrival and watch everything unfold.

 -0-0-0-

Vegeta stormed the palace hallways in a barely contained rage. He was on his way to Bardock's lab. Maybe the older Saiyan could give him some peace of mind or advise him of some way to get out of this. He had little doubt that once Frieza saw Bulma he would want to take her back with him. Even more sure was he that Frieza would take her once he found out that she was his personal concubine. Many times he knew the Lizard lord and his father traded women in the harems. He couldn't let this happen to Bulma. Even if he didn't feel as strongly about her as he did, he couldn't knowingly subject her to that. What kind of a horrible life would that be? She was lucky she hadn't ended up on Freiza's ship as a pleasure slave to begin with when they purged her planet.

Damned that Asia and damn his father to hell!

He made it to the lab and found it to be locked. _What the hell?!_ He thought to himself angrily. Where were Barock and Bulma? In his rage leaving the council meeting he hadn't even thought to check in on Bulma's location. He stopped for a moment and allowed himself to calm down. Bardock wasn't anywhere in the palace, which was very rare. He practically lived in his lab.

He located Bulma around the royal wing most likely in his personal quarters. Maybe they finished everything and Bardock had escorted her back to his quarters. That made sense. He headed quickly back to his personal quarters. He looked around the living room area but she wasn't there. He could sense her presence nearby though.

She wasn't on the balcony. She wasn't in the bedroom. He didn't hear the shower on but he headed into the bathroom anyway.

He opened the door and looked in and heard a small shriek.

Vegeta ducked back out and closed the door. He hadn't seen her, just heard her.

"Is that you, Vegeta?" she asked.

"Who else, Woman?" he grated back more harshly than he had intended. He was still extremely angry with today's turn of events.

"Sorry! I just didn't know anyone was here!" Bulma yelled back. He heard some splashing around and smirked. He had obviously startled her good. "Come in."

"Is it alright?" He asked, feeling silly for even asking. It was his bathroom.

"Yes." She replied. Vegeta opened the bathroom door slowly and poked his head in.

There she was, lounging in the huge bathtub and had covered herself up with bubbles. Her hair was messily piled up on top of her head in a messy bun that still made her look sophisticated. Her face was free of all make up and she looked fresh and rejuvenated. The bubbles modestly covered up her ample cleavage, not giving much away but her lengthy legs were crossed and dangling over the edge of the tub delicately and leisurely.

"Hey," she greeted, her face flushing a little.

"Hey." Vegeta replied, feeling awkward. Should he leave her be and tell her the bad news once she comes out or tell her now? More than anything, he would love to join her and forget about everything. That was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

"So who'd have thought the big bad Prince of all Saiyans likes bubble baths." Bulma said with a smirk folding her arms behind her head.

Vegeta blushed. "Shut up." He grumbled.

"Awe, are you embarrassed?" She teased. "Don't be. Bubble baths are one of my favorite past times. I just never would have thought I'd find bubble bath in your bathroom is all. Hope you don't mind."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied, crossing his arms and frowning at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He seemed way more surly than usual. I guess Bardock had been right about Vegeta being extra irritable right now.

"Nothing I care to discuss while you're in there." He replied again, more harshly than he meant to be.

"Well, either I can come out and we can talk or why don't you grab a bottle of wine and come join me, relax a bit and we can talk about it. Unless you think it's a bad idea." Bulma suggested.

"That's a terrible idea," Vegeta replied dryly. "For right now, anyway." He added.

"How about I put on a swimsuit? Would that make you feel better? The water is still really warm and I haven't had a bath since I was taken from my home." Bulma offered.

Vegeta sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was so going to regret this, but he couldn't deny her. His time with her may very well be limited. "Go change, I will get a bottle of wine and join you in a few minutes." He grumbled and left.

Bulma frowned at the closed door after he had left. Something was definitely wrong with him. Maybe she could get him to talk to her about whatever it was that was bothering him. She just hoped that he wasn't going to tell her that he decided she wasn't worthy of him. If he did, she would understand, but she would still be devastated.

She got out of the bath and went to her makeup bag to find the capsule with most of her Earth clothes. She knew there were a bunch of swim suits in there. She found an emerald colored bikini. The top was halter style. It was flattering but not too revealing. The bottoms were like short boy-shorts. She had scandalous bikinis but she didn't think it was the occasion for them.

Bulma quickly changed and hopped back into the tub. She was starting to worry that whatever Vegeta had to say to her wasn't good. He had never been so cranky to her. Not since they had first met, anyway. She supposed she'd just have to wait and see what he had to say.

She heard a knock at the door. "Are you decent, Woman?" he asked. Bulma smiled to herself. He was such a gentleman. "I am." She replied.

Vegeta came in to the bathroom with a bottle of wine, two glasses and wearing a pair of black training shorts that left little to the imagination. Bulma blushed and moved to the far end of the huge tub. Here she had obviously chosen poorly in her choice of swimsuit. His body was absolutely perfect; not that she hadn't noticed before, but she hadn't had a chance to really check him out. He really did take her breath away.

He opened the bottle of wine and poured them both a glass and climbed in. He handed her a glass, sat on the opposite side of the tub and sighed in contentment as the hot water washed over him.

Bulma wasn't sure if she should stay where she was or go sit by his side. She wanted to go sit with him but remembered that they had to be careful and not let things get carried away. His mere presence made her not think straight. She was trying to be good.

"Rough day?" She asked.

"Hmmn," he replied. "You have no idea."

"Sorry. I missed you this morning."

"I left early to go train," He replied. "I need to make myself stronger so that I can defeat my father and Frieza. We won't be able to be together until I can do that. I was hoping to escort you this morning but I got called away to my father's."

"It's alright, Kakarott told me and he took me over to the lab." Bulma said with a reassuring smile. "We got a lot accomplished today. We made a ton of capsules. Bardock says you guys can start transporting everything tomorrow morning."

"That's great." Vegeta said dryly. He knew she'd be able to do it. He should have been thrilled with this information. He should go find his father and flaunt the information in his face, but he just couldn't find it in him at the moment to be glad about anything.

"What's wrong?" Bulma asked moving to his side and sitting next to him. Too bad it it's not a good idea.

He pulled her into his arms and positioned her comfortably on his lap so that she was facing him. He looked at her intensely as if trying to commit every detail of her face to memory. He then kissed her chastely on the lips. "I have some really bad news," He said, pulling her closer to him so she was straddling him. He really didn't want to tell her.

 _Great. I knew this was coming._ Bulma thought to herself in despair. She just hoped she could keep herself together and not disgrace herself any further by breaking down in front of him.

"For Lord Frieza's visit, you will be required to entertain everyone during the banquets." Vegeta said without any emotion.

"Wait a minute, what?" Bulma asked, shaking her head and looking back at him in confusion.

"I am sorry, I tried to talk everyone out of it but my father would have none of it. He was convinced it was a good idea." Vegeta replied.

"So I have to perform for everyone nightly like I did at the tavern?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta nodded in despair.

"Well, that's not so bad. It's not ideal, but whatever, I'm sure I can pull it off if I have to. As long as I'm not required to do anything more." Bulma reasoned with a shrug. "I won't do any private dancing or anything like that."

"Not so bad?! Woman, this is the worst thing that could have happened!" Vegeta exclaimed. "We were supposed to keep you hidden during Frieza's visit. Remember?"

"Yea. But what changed that plan?" Bulma asked, still relieved and trying to wrap her mind around the fact that he wasn't leaving her.

"Asia." Vegeta replied. "Raditz apparently told her how talented you were when we first met you at the tavern and she suggested you perform for Frieza's visit. My father agreed."

"Asia." Bulma huffed. "I had the pleasure of meeting her this morning on the way to the lab."

"So I heard." Vegeta chuckled. "You told her I hadn't mentioned her to you?"

"Yea. She introduced herself as your fiancée and I told her that it didn't ring a bell." Bulma giggled at the memory. "She got really upset that you hadn't mentioned her and I told her that you'd mentioned something about a bothersome wench following you around but nothing about a fiancée."

Vegeta smirked at the memory. That was exactly what he had called her today, no wonder that comment of his had made her so upset. "I wish I could have been there."

"It's probably best you weren't. She was pretty upset. Kakarott had to intervene."

"Why? What happened?" Vegeta asked with a frown.

"Nothing. She just got mad and said I hadn't learned my place or something." Bulma said nonchalantly. "I think he thought she was going to hit me or something. I don't know. He just told her enough and dragged me down the hall way as quickly as he could to get away from her then he gave me a lecture about taunting her when it was her that started it in the first place!"

"Kakarott is right. I told you to stay away from her." Vegeta growled.

"I didn't seek her out! We literally bumped right into her in the hallway and Kakarott said hi to her and tried to keep going but she insisted on introducing herself. She was very condescending and rude. I know I probably should have said nothing, but I couldn't help myself. If she wants to be a bitch and belittle me, then she gets back as good as she gives." Bulma argued. "I know over here I'm nothing more than a slave but back on my home planet I was daughter of one of the most influential and wealthiest families. I was very highly respected by everyone and I never treated anyone that would be considered "beneath" me that way and if anyone spoke to me with such disrespect, I spoke back to them with just as much disrespect. I see her as no different. If she wants me to treat her with respect, she needs to treat me with respect. I know that's not how it works here but if someone like Bardock can treat me with respect and even her own crowned Prince can treat me with respect then so can she."

"I understand that and I respect that," Vegeta replied. "To anyone else, I would completely agree but you cannot where Asia is concerned. She may have very well just sealed your fate as a new addition to Frieza's harem as a pleasure slave or worse." Vegeta sighed. "Once he sees you and he knows you belong to me that will be it. And I know my father will agree to it. Do you have any idea how horrible your life will be? Or what it does to me to know that this is a very real possibility and there is nothing I can do to stop it or protect you?"

"I'm sorry, Vegeta. I didn't even think." Bulma said shaking her head. _Me and my big mouth._ She thought to herself.

"I doubt it would have mattered much anyway. My father told me she was extremely upset that I was bringing back a bed slave so I'm sure she's been looking for any window of opportunity to do away with you since she found out." Vegeta said. "Angering her this morning just did not help your case any is all."

"So, what are we going to do?" Bulma asked touching the side of his face with her hand.

"I do not know." He replied simply in despair, his black eyes shining with fear and concern for her.

"Well, we can just go along with it and hope for the best, I guess. There is no sense in stressing over what might happen and what hasn't happened yet." Bulma said, trying to stay positive for him. Inside she was absolutely terrified.

"Woman, I do not want to lose you." Vegeta said, voicing the fear that he had and at the same time berating himself for allowing himself to be so weak.

"You won't," Bulma said confidently, stroking his thick eyebrows trying to smooth out the frown that was etched there. He was so much more handsome when he wasn't wearing that angry scowl. "And should the worst happen, don't beat yourself up over it. I know you'll do everything you can to protect me but if you can't then there isn't anything you can do. Just know that should the absolute worst happen, I love you and I would never blame you for anything."

There was that word. _Love_. He hated that word. He thought the sentiment was weak and ridiculous. Love was for fools. Yet, here was this small slip of a woman who had come to mean everything to him in such a short span of time, telling him she loved him even though he may not be able to protect her from a fate worse than death. She told him she loved him and he wasn't even sure if he could ever return the sentiment to her even if he did find her a way out of this mess. He wasn't capable. He knew he cared very deeply for her. He would be devastated by her loss and would be more than content to spend the rest of his life with her, cherishing her and protecting her from all the horrible things this universe could conjure up. He knew he would gladly risk his life in exchange for hers if he knew that by doing so she would be safe and happy somewhere. Was that Love? He had thought himself incapable of the emotion long ago, but maybe it was there and he wasn't as far gone as he thought he was. Ever since she had come into his life, he had been feeling things he would have never thought possible.

"Woman, how can you possibly love someone that cannot even protect you?" He asked bitterly, still amazed that after his admission of the possibility of not being able to protect her from all that he hated in this universe that she could still hold any feeling other than contempt for him.

"Because I know that you would never willingly agree to something like this unless there was nothing you could do about it. I know until it actually happens, you will be looking for a way out of this." Bulma replied confidently looking him in the eye. She couldn't believe she had told him she loved him. He had mocked her on the ship before when she had mentioned love or any kind of romantic notion. Having Bardock's insight today on his past really helped her to understand him better. She knew she probably shouldn't have told him she loved him, but if he wasn't leaving her and they only had a short period of time left together she wanted him to know how she felt about him in case she didn't get the chance later.

Vegeta shook his head and looked away from her in shame. There had to be a way around this. He just had to think hard on it. They still had a few days. Now that the capsule project was complete, maybe he should send her away. Send her somewhere where she would be safe for a while. He could always send Kakarott with her. Kakarott would protect her to the best of his ability. Sending her away now though would be the worst idea. Then his father would know how strongly he felt about her and that would sign her death warrant right there.

"Hey," she said, turning his head back to face her. It killed her to see him so upset. He was always so calm and confident and collected; always so sure of himself. It frightened her to the core that these people must be really bad news that he was so badly shaken up but she couldn't let him see that. "I'm still here. And until further notice, I'm not going anywhere."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. It took him a few minutes to respond but when he did he pulled her as close to him as he could and kissed her back so deeply she thought she might pass out.

He broke their kiss, earning him a growl of disapproval from her. He looked at her bottom lip where he had bitten her last night and caressed it with his thumb and frowned.

"Yea, about that," Bulma said "I had a very difficult time explaining that away. Everyone I ran into today questioned me about it."

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Just that I fell and accidentally bit it." She said.

"And how did that go over?"

"Everyone with the exception of Bardock seemed to buy it." She said with a shrug.

"And what did he say?" Vegeta asked.

"Not much. Just that if that was my story he wouldn't pry but we should be careful in the future." She said. "He said your father would be extremely upset if he'd seen it."

Vegeta nodded. "Yes, he would." He noticed the bruise on her neck and shook his head at himself. "Were you able to conceal that one at least?"

"Yup. I have make up, it was simple, no one noticed it." She nodded.

"Good. It will not happen again." Vegeta said, leaning back against the tub and looking her over. God, she was beautiful. She didn't even have to try and she looked like a goddess.

She maneuvered herself around so that she was sitting between his legs and her back was leaning comfortably against his chest. "There's something else that came up today," she said with a slight frown.

"What's that, dare I ask?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her right shoulder.

"Well, everyone seems to know that you and I haven't been together," she started awkwardly. This would be much easier to discuss, facing away from him. "I know the reason, as we discussed it yesterday and I didn't say anything to anyone except that I didn't know what your intentions were for me. Amira seemed to accept that. But Bardock said everyone knows because they would be able to smell you on me if we had been."

"That is true. My father already mentioned it." Vegeta sighed.

"He knows now too?" Bulma asked, rolling her eyes. This was so embarrassing!

"I should have thought about that sooner, but it didn't occur to me until today actually. Nappa and Raditz brought it up this morning."

"Oh god." She huffed, putting her head in her hands. "You know, nothing like that exists in my species."

"Well, you would be the only species that I ever heard of that didn't." Vegeta replied. "Do not worry about it for now. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. It isn't anyone's business. I won't take you in that way until I am ready to take you as my mate."

"And I'll be waiting." Bulma teased, leaning back into his strong chest and sighing in contentment.

"Hmmn." He replied, worrying again about what the future held for them in only a few days time. Would they be sitting here enjoying each other's company a week from now?

"Stop worrying," Bulma said, knowing that's where his thoughts had wondered. "It'll be fine. I'll be fine. I trust you."

"I told you before; you shouldn't be so quick to trust." He replied.

"You did," She nodded. "But you've held true to your word ever since I met you. With the exception of coming back to get me, but I won't complain about that. You said before that you would protect me and I still believe that."

"You do not know what I am dealing with, Woman." He said irritably. "Some of the creatures that will be accompanying Lord Frieza are much more powerful than I am. I could never protect myself from them. How can I possibly protect you?"

"You'll find a way." she said easily. "In the meantime, what should I do about performing for these guys?"

Vegeta growled. "Just do not be too enticing." He hated the thought of her parading around on stage for everyone to see. She was his. He was proud to be seen with her if the occasion called for it but he did not like the idea of everyone else looking at her lustfully.

"Okay," she said. That didn't really help. "I'll go through my ipod tomorrow and find some songs. How many do I need to prepare for?"

"Who cares," he said as he started kissing and licking the back of her neck in an effort to distract her. He didn't want to talk about any of this anymore.

"Hmmm," She murmured. "Vegeta, how can you expect me to keep my distance if you keep teasing me like that?"

"Hmmn," He replied, continuing to kiss her from her shoulder back up her neck and nipping her earlobe. "I do not care."

"Yes, you do." She replied, trying to get out of the tub, but he tightened his grip around her waist pulling her back to him. He stopped kissing her though and just held her close. He knew she was right. They sat there in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"I'm ready to get out." Bulma said to him, turning to look up at him.

He kissed her on the lips. "I'll be out in a minute." He said. He couldn't help but stare as he watched her get out of the tub. She was pure perfection. Everything about her was perfect. _If only she were Saiyan._ That was her only flaw.

He got out a few minutes later and found her in bed already waiting for him. He changed into a pair of shorts and crawled into bed, pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly to him and wrapping his tail around her waist. They laid there in silence for a long time. "Vegeta?" she asked quietly.

"Hmmn." He replied. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck.

"I meant what I said."

"I know, Woman. I know." He said gently squeezing her.

"If the worst happens, remember that." She said simply. "And don't do anything stupid. Just let it be."

"What are you implying, Woman?" he asked almost offended. "If they do decide to take you from me I won't simply stand by and allow it! I will be coming after you."

"But you said so yourself, if you can't protect yourself how can you protect me?" she said, almost immediately regretting her choice in words. "If you can't defend yourself because these guys are too much for you, then don't come after me."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Woman!" he spat, immediately offended by her words and moving away from her. "As if I like being reminded of the fact that I cannot protect you."

"No, Vegeta!" she cried, grabbing his arm before he left. She was surprised he stopped; he was already sitting. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" he asked, still angry.

"Just that don't risk your life." She said. "I'm smart. I'll find a way to survive if I end up there. I will wait for you to come. I know you aren't strong enough right now because you told me that but that doesn't mean I don't have faith in you." She aid, curling up beside him resting her head on her left shoulder and wrapping her arm around his.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked again irritably.

"Don't come for me unless you know you can take them all out once and for all." She said. "I couldn't live with myself if you came to face them and you weren't ready and they killed you. It would be bad enough as it is but to live knowing that would be unbearable for me."

Vegeta didn't say anything. As much as he hated being reminded of his inability to keep her safe, he knew she was right. "My living with knowing you are suffering in such a manor will be unbearable to me."

"I know," She said. "but it would be a waste. You could do so much good. For your people on this planet, maybe even the universe as a whole. You're a good person. For me to expect you to waste yourself on me would be very selfish on my part. If you are the only person who can eventually rid this universe of Frieza, I don't want you doing it before you're ready is all. I have faith that you will be able to. But if that time isn't now and I have to go with him, then let it be."

"You don't understand what kind of vile creatures you will be forced to be around. They are horrible and will take pleasure in breaking you- body and mind if for no other reason than because you mean something to me. They will not quit until you're either dead or spiritless," he said sadly. "I barely made it out with my pride and sanity intact."

"I've been through plenty already, and if I'm broken in spirit when you do find me, I'll come back to you." She said.

"Let's hope so." He said, kissing her on the top of her head.

"It will work itself out." She said, looking at him. "If we are meant to be together, then we will end up together."

"Silly woman and your silly beliefs." He whispered, looking down at her and wanting to kiss her, but instead intertwining his fingers with her hand and leaning into her side, resting his head against hers.

"It's not silly." She replied firmly.

"Hmmn. I'll hold you to it then." He said, trying to reign in his emotions yet again. He could not fall apart in front of her.

"Stop obsessing over the unknown. We can discuss it tomorrow some more, hey?"

Vegeta nodded, looking down at her. It was dark in the room but he could still make out the delicate features of her face. He kissed her hungrily, letting her hand go, and touching the side of her face. He gently guided her back down to the bed, his lips not breaking away from hers, kissing her deeply.

"Vegeta," she murmured.

"Hmmn?" he replied still kissing her within an inch of her life.

"I know you said we can't, but make love to me." She said breathlessly. "Please?"

"No, Bulma. I can't," he said against her lips. "Not yet."

She noted how he had actually used her name instead of just calling her "woman" as he usually did. She nodded in reply and turned away from him, curling up in a ball.

"I am sorry," he whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms and tail around her waist again and pulling her close to him in a tight embrace.

"It's alright," she replied so quietly, he barely heard her. "I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize. I want you too," He whispered in her ear. He could feel her nod in response, but then felt her begin to shake. He frowned and looked down at her and realized she was crying. He quietly inhaled and exhaled; the last thing he wanted to do tonight was offend her or make her cry. Did she not understand how difficult it was for him as well? "Please do not cry."

"I'm sorry, Vegeta. I am but I'm so afraid." She confessed. "Since you said earlier what might happen, I've been absolutely terrified and I was trying to be brave because I know you are upset and I didn't want you to worry more," she sobbed. A flood gate of her feelings for the last hour had been broken. "But I don't know what I'll do if that happens."

"Shhh, it's alright." He tried soothing her the best way he knew how. He had no idea how to comfort a crying woman. "I was beginning to think that there was something wrong with you that you were not worried about this."

"I just didn't want you to worry more about me. You have lots to worry about already."

"Do not worry about me. I will figure things out," He reassured. "As long as you are okay, I will be okay."

Bulma just nodded and continued to sob. She couldn't stop. Her emotions for Vegeta combined with the extreme fear she was feeling at the moment just wouldn't allow her to calm down.

"What is it?" he pressed, concerned and growing increasingly uncomfortable at the fact that she wouldn't stop crying and his inability to make her stop. Was she that offended by him? He had thought they had discussed their inability to be intimate last night.

"Nothing. I'm just tired. I had a long day at the lab and you telling me about what might happen, it's just a lot." She said, taking deep breaths in an effort to calm herself down.

"No, there is something more." He said firmly.

"Forget about it. It's embarrassing and doesn't matter."

"It does to me if you are this upset." He pressed.

She was quiet for a long moment. "It's just that… I've never been with anyone before," She finally confessed. "As it is, the first time isn't supposed to be pleasant, but I always wanted it to be special. If I end up where you say I might, I at least want my first time to be special. I'd want it to be with you."

Vegeta cringed inwardly at her confession. How could he have been so single minded as to not figure that out for himself? "I'm not opposed to it. Haven't been for some time." He said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood a bit but failing miserably as she continued to cry. "You are absolutely right, Bulma. But if we bond and I can't make it to you in time and you don't make it, I'll never be able to defeat them."

"How do you mean?" she asked shakily.

"If we bond, I will feel everything you do. Your thoughts, feelings, emotions, everything. If you.. die, I will follow shortly after." He said slowly, not wanting to get into it because it just made their situation seem even more helpless. Here was another way he could not help her. He knew he would for sure bond with her. He had no doubt. "I don't mind feeling what you feel. In a way it would help because I would know if you are alright or not. But the depth of my feelings for you are as such that the way a bond works is if one mate passes, the other does too out of the loss. I don't think I could overcome that, should you not make it." he said sadly, hating himself for his weakness for her.

"I'm sorry I forgot about that part of the bond. I wouldn't want that for you and I'm sorry for putting that on you." She said after a few moments of silence from him. "I'm just afraid. That's why I asked. Never mind."

"Do not be sorry for anything. None of this is your fault." He said bitterly. "I should have never brought you here."

"Don't say that, Vegeta."

"Why not? It's the truth. You'd have been safer staying at that damned tavern."

"Okay, but for how long?" She argued. "Toma caved and gave into your companions with the first bit of pressure they put on him and the promise of a ton of money. How long until someone else did the same, pressured him or offered him more money than he could have refused? Where I took you that evening wasn't meant for a casual hang out. I would say that any other patron there who had shelled out enough cash to be taken there for an evening would not have been okay with simply chatting and drinking wine all night. Eventually I would have been forced into this position.

"At least with you coming back to get me, we spent a wonderful week together on the ship and a few nights here. I know you think it's silly, but I fell in love with you during that week; hell I think I fell in love with you that first night we met, I just hadn't realized it. I wouldn't trade that for anything." She said quietly. "I had someone back on my planet and what I've experienced with you in the last week and a half is something so much better and stronger than anything I have ever felt before. Even if it's for only a short time, I'm glad I experienced it all the same and I don't regret it."

Vegeta wasn't sure how to respond to that. He understood. He hadn't felt for anyone what he felt for either. He just wished he hadn't exposed her to such blatant danger no matter how unintentionally it had been.

"I understand." He replied, wanting to choose his words carefully. "I do not regret my time with you. I regret this situation. If I had gotten you to maybe explain the capsule technology and I could have brought that back to Bardock instead of bringing you back here. I could have brought you back after Frieza's visit. I should have taken this whole scenario into consideration."

"Vegeta, you aren't a mind reader or a fortune teller." She replied. "No one could have seen this coming. I know you warned me about your father and Asia and even Frieza. But who knew it would actually come to this?"

"Now that it is happening, it just feels like it should have been blatantly obvious." He said. "I've failed you."

"Nothing's happened yet!" she exclaimed, starting to cry again. "How can you have failed me if nothing's happened yet? We don't even know if it's going to happen?"

"Please, do not cry anymore," he all but pleaded.

"I'm sorry! I should have said nothing more. I just need to sleep." She said after taking a deep breath in an effort to stop another wave of emotion threatening to take over. "We both need to just sleep on this. Tomorrow maybe we can come up with something."

"You're right." He said kissing her neck and squeezing her reassuringly. "Sleep now, Woman."

"Hmmm." Bulma murmured back, finally calmed down and relaxing into his protective embrace.

They were silent for a long time. Vegeta was too agitated to even come close to falling asleep anytime soon. He felt her begin to drift off slowly to sleep. "If worst comes to worst, we will consummate our relationship before you leave. That is the least I can do for you. I will find out a way to deal with the consequences later."

"I know you will do whatever you feel is the right thing, Vegeta. I trust you." She replied sleepily.

There it was again: that blind trust and acceptance no one other than her seemed to have in him. It flattered him yet he felt almost unworthy of it. It would make him feel even worse if she was taken from him. Knowing what she would be faced to endure filled him with a rage he had never felt before. It was so unfair to have only just found her and he had just stared allowing himself to feel things he had always dismissed as weak and silly or that he simply wasn't capable of feeling these things. To have finally had the opportunity to explore it with someone so perfect for him and possibly have it taken away before it began was more than he could handle.

He held her close all night and watched her sleep. Listened to her breath while his mind spiraled out of control desperately trying to think of a way to get her out of this without making things worse and obsessing about what could be should the worst happen. He eventually drifted off in a fitful sleep, but fell asleep all the same.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

For five days, Vegeta stressed over Frieza's arrival. He hadn't come up with any way to get Bulma out of performing and being blatantly exposed to Frieza and his entourage. The closer his arrival, the more anxious and irritable he became. He trained like a mad man during the day when he didn't have to accompany his father to meetings and in the evening he closed himself up in his quarters with Bulma.

Bardock had shown the King the miracle of capsulation technology and they were able to move all the weapons off planet in the matter of two days. Though Bardock had been correct about the King not being able to deny the usefulness of the capsules; it still hadn't been enough for him to allow Bulma to contribute any further in the science department.

_**Flashback** _

"She is a bed slave, Bardock." The King had replied irritably.

"She can be used for far more than that though, your Highness! I have worked with her; she is absolutely brilliant- possibly even more brilliant than myself. Between the two of us, I have no doubt we could make some very serious advancements in weapons, ships and maybe even in our medical department. She seems to know a little bit about everything."

"I do not understand how this girl has managed to bewitch both yourself and my son," The King replied in an uninterested tone. "I thought you to have been mated and bonded, Bardock."

"I am, your Highness, happily so for many years. One thing has nothing to do with the other." Bardock said with a disgusted frown at the insinuation the King had made.

"I thought so." The King nodded. "However she seems to have bewitched my Son. He has been spewing nothing but nonsense since her arrival. Much of the same nonsense you have come to me with this morning. I have no other assumption to make than that she's obviously bewitched the both of you."

"I can assure you, she has not." Bardock said, shaking his head. "I am simply interested in her in a scientific stand point and the possibilities of the advancements we could make with her help. Your Son recognizes the same possibilities that I do."

"And if she is so brilliant and willing to help us, who's to say she won't find a way to escape and steal much of this new technology and improve it further and sell it to our enemies so that they may destroy us. That would be greatly to our detriment." The King argued. "I will not have it."

"I don't think she would do that, your Highness." Bardock replied. He could understand the King's concern, but he was still being just too narrow minded. Bardock knew she would never do anything to compromise them. "Please, if you would only meet her. Come down to the lab and see for yourself how incredibly brilliant she really is, you would understand where your son and myself are coming from with this. You would be amazed at what we could accomplish."

"I think not." The King said shaking his head. His mind had already been made up. "I have already seen to it that she remain here for the week and she will leave along with Lord Frieza's departure."

"What?! But, why?" Bardock exclaimed. "Your Highness, you worry that she may prove a detriment because of her brilliant mind, why would you give her over to the very enemies we want to defeat? She wants to see the Ice-jin done away with just as much as we do if not more. They overlooked her once and I believe their loss has been our gain. To hand her over to them, I believe, would be to our ultimate detriment.

"The Ice-jin are already far more advanced technologically than we are. You would knowingly send her there where they would utilize her talents to their benefit? That could be our downfall- letting her slip through our fingers."

"That's why they aren't going to find out about her supposed brilliant mind. I will be handing her over as a gift to Lord Frieza for his harem." The King said.

"Your Highness, you cannot do that." Bardock replied in shock.

"I assure you, I can. And I will." The King said, quite pleased with himself. "You have to know my Son is not using her for her intended purpose and he is far too possessive of her. It is not healthy. I will not have him bonding to her and taking her as a mate. He will either let her go with Lord Frieza or I will put her down myself."

"Does your son know of this?" Bardock asked, feeling sick.

"He only knows that I have decided that she will perform for the banquets. I have been informed that she is an excellent performer and very talented." The King replied. "What better way to catch Frieza's interest. If she is half as talented as I've heard, he will most definitely be interested in taking her off our hands. Her beauty alone will pique his interest."

"You cannot do that to him." Bardock said. This was a disaster.

"And why not? He will get over it one day, I can assure you of that. I was in a similar situation myself when I was young. I moved on. So will he. It is for his best interest. I intend to show case her and then let Lord Frieza know that I am open to a trade; any one of his women in his harem in exchange for her. He will not decline. It will be simple and the best way to rid my son of her influence."

"Your Highness, forgive me for over stepping my place. I know I have no right, but please do not do this." Bardock said slowly, knowing that to argue with the King on matters regarding his son was a very bad idea. He had to try and talk some sense into the King though. Not only would it be a huge waste to see her go- that alone was reason enough to Bardock to make sure this didn't happen; but he knew how strongly Vegeta felt for her. It was a disastrous situation the Prince had put himself in by caring for her, but Bardock could think of many worse predicaments he could have found himself in. Mating with Asia was worse than taking an alien bed slave, like Bulma as a mate Bardock reasoned. At least Bulma was level headed and intelligent. She may lack physical strength but she could aid and bring glory to the empire with that mind of hers. She truly cared for Vegeta from what Bardock could see. As much as he hated to admit it and he too held to the belief that emotions were a weakness, he recognized that Bulma was what the young Prince needed. He had been beaten down so much and had been so emotionally stunted that Bardock was amazed he had even allowed Bulma to get close enough for him to develop even the briefest infatuation. In the week they had spent together it was very clear to Bardock that his infatuation had grown into something much deeper.

He had gone home to his own mate the previous evening after escorting Bulma back to the Prince's personal quarters and had thought about Bulma and the Prince. He had even dwelled on the conversation he'd had with Bulma that afternoon about the differences and seriousness of commitments. The more he thought about it the more he had to admit to himself that he did love his mate and would never leave her under any circumstances. Damn anyone else that thought he was a weak fool. If the Prince felt the same way about Bulma the way he did about his mate, the King would be making a huge mistake by messing with it. Anyone who would think of taking his mate from him for any reason would be signing their death warrant. This was a complicated situation that needed to be handled delicately. In the long run, while not ideal, he felt that Bulma would be a much better choice for the Prince to take as a mate and potential queen than anyone else. It wasn't like she was just another piece of arm candy. She was extremely valuable. No one else would see that right now and it would be very dangerous for her. Only time would allow her to prove herself to everyone. It wouldn't be easy for her but he knew if anyone could do it, she could. She was a very strong girl on the inside.

"Your son already detests you for sending him away to Lord Frieza as a boy. He has never forgotten that and sees it as a personal betrayal. If you do this, you may never regain his respect or confidence."

"You do over step, Bardock. She is a bed slave! Not his mate!"

"Understood, my King." Bardock said, bowing in respect. "However, just leave him be. Give him some credit. Let him enjoy the girl for a while at least. From what I gather, she is the only positive thing that has happened to him since his mother has passed."

"Then she is nothing more than a weakness for him and must be eliminated." the King said with finality. "He isn't as you say, "enjoying" her anyway. So it makes no difference. Do not try to interfere with this, Bardock."

"I wouldn't presume to, my King." Bardock said bowing respectfully and leaving to go find Bulma. As he'd promised he would that morning.

 _Something has to be done._ He thought to himself, following the palace hallways towards the Prince's personal quarters.

_**Present Day** _

Bulma sat outside on the balcony floor of Vegeta's personal quarters surrounded by paperwork and a glass of wine in her hand. The weather was warm and humid. She was completely engrossed in her project. Vegeta was off training as usual. He had taken to leaving very early in the morning, usually before she awoke to get a head start on his training for the day. The only morning he had stayed until she had woken up was the morning after he had told her of the fact that she would be required to entertain for Frieza and his men during their stay.

They had stayed in bed and held each other for a while in silence before getting up to start the day. They hadn't spoken of the previous night's issues but it weighed heavily on both of them. Vegeta had gotten someone to deliver some breakfast for Bulma before leaving. As he was leaving, Bardock had shown up to bring Bulma back to his lab.

Bardock told them both about the King's stubborn refusal to allow Bulma to help on anything else and sympathized with her new situation of having to entertain for the lizard lord and his entourage. He too was at a loss about what to do and agreed that sending Bulma away was the worst idea at this time. It would only confirm the King's suspicions. They all agreed in the meantime that the best course of action would be to carry on, let Bulma perform and worry about the details later on as they came up. Bardock did not let on he knew about any of this mess or what the King had planned. He felt it would just make things worse. In any case, he brought Bulma to his lab to help make more capsules and ran a few projects by her that he hadn't had the time to even start; most of which were still in the planning stages needing plans drawn up. He figured if he couldn't bring her to his lab, he could at least give her a few projects to look over when she was alone in Vegeta's quarters and see what she could come up with. Maybe she could make some improvements to some of them?

He wasn't disappointed. That same day, she had figured out a way to downsize their scouters to about half the size and still carry the same amount of data. It wasn't something he had even considered doing. He had just left the lab quickly to deliver the rest of the capsules to the weapons department and he had returned to find that she had taken apart a broken scouter, in an attempt to repair it but once she had done that, had drawn out schematics to make it better. She had also drawn out the plans for a small chip; something called a memory card that could be inserted in the scouter to store additional data in case of emergency or for extra briefing information on missions. Bardock had shook his head at the time. _The King is an idiot!_ He thought to himself. _If this is what she could accomplish in the matter of a half hour, what could she accomplish in weeks, months or years? Here was a gift and she was going to be thrown away to the dogs like a useless table scrap!_

That day, he had sent Bulma back to Vegeta's quarters with a few different projects but there was one specific project that had caught her immediate interest. She had begun that very day.

It was the idea of an isolated training room that would be able to be used for intense training and withstand the powerful intensity of ki blasts. It had to be compact so as not take up too much space, but also had to be large enough that a person would be able to maneuver properly inside without interruption. Bardock had been working on the schematics for months, but had had too many other pressing matters take priority.

Bulma was ready today to take the finished designs and schematics to Bardock later on. She was really proud of it! She had pretty much kept it to it's original design, building it to the specs of the training room on the ship Vegeta had brought her back on and had tweaked it up, adding a few minor yet useful modifications. She had suggested building it out of that light steel alloy that Vegeta had brought back. That way it would be strong and be able to withstand harsh physical blows. She had thought of a way to line it with a fire retardant material on the inside as well and then layering the inside with the alloy too all in all making a light weight but strong training facility that should be able to endure just about any kind of abuse Bulma could think of, including ki blasts. It would be strong on the outside as well so that the person inside would not be disturbed and be safe if someone wanted to blow it up from the outside as well as from the inside.

She was proud of that modification but what she was really proud of was what she called the gravity simulator part of the training room. The occupant would be able to simulate an increase in the gravity level of the planet. It would only by contained and simulated in the training room, leaving the outside normal. She had at first questioned whether or not this was a good idea. If the occupant increased the gravity level too much, they could be crushed into a pancake. However, knowing that the Saiyans could withstand a lot of physical stress, fly and shoot ki blasts, the thought of training under higher than normal gravity levels could increase both their strength and speed; in theory, anyway. She would have to run the theory past Bardock to see if it would be of any use to them. For all she knew, it was useless. She continued on with it though, determined to at least finish it.

This was all her own and probably the most brilliant idea she had ever come up with! She was very excited to share this with both Vegeta and Bardock but she really found herself missing her father at that moment. This was something he would have really appreciated and would have been beyond fascinated with. Not to mention he could have helped her out with the mathematical equations required to accomplish what she was trying to do. She was sure she had done it right; it would have just taken her less time to complete it. She may have been the mastermind, but her father had always been better at solving the mathematical aspect to everything than she was. She admitted there were many times it was her that was able to complete it when he was stumped. But he had always at least started that part of everything, making it very easy for her to look at it and see the missing part of the equation and complete it with ease. They bounced off each other.

No matter where he was, she at least hoped he was safe. She hadn't mentioned anything to Vegeta yet, but maybe there would be a way of finding out if he was working for Frieza? If he was, she knew he'd be having a hay day with all this technology- she knew she was. Too bad the Ice-jin were such horrible creatures. She had a feeling though that her father's love of science and belief that his family was all but destroyed would fuel him to create things to distract himself from everything that had happened. She was the same. Since she had been so worried about Frieza's arrival, she had thrown herself into this project to the point where Vegeta had to drag her away and into bed some evenings. He had asked her repeatedly what she was working on, but she always coyly kept it from him, assuring him that when it was finished, she would let him know because it was something that might be able to help him. She hoped so, anyway.

It occurred to her then that if it was a war they were preparing to fight, would helping the Saiyans with their technology be in a way fighting her father if he was working for the Ice-jin? They had taken him away for his brilliant mind. It was an interesting thought. She decided to dismiss it; no sense in getting ahead of herself. She didn't even know if he was still alive. No sense in wondering about the unknown. She shook her head at the thought- so much in her life right now was unknown.

Bulma took a sip of wine and stretched her arms. She had been sitting there for hours finishing her schematics and equations. Everything was done. She only had to run her theory and the plans by Bardock and then the prototype could be built. She hoped so badly that she had created something that would be useful to Vegeta. It was so compact that he could even capsulize it and take it with him on a mission so as to keep up with his training. It should be able to fit in the training room on his ship if she had calculated properly. She quickly gathered up all the paper work in a pile. It was everywhere! Hopefully Vegeta was coming back soon so she could get her hard work to Bardock today.

She stood up and leaned over the balcony railing overlooking the vast scenery of Vegeta-sei. She hadn't taken much time to marvel at it's beauty. She enjoyed her wine. As she stood there in silence, she suddenly realized that Frieza should be arriving any day now; if not today, then most likely tomorrow. She needed to figure out what she was going to do to entertain these monsters. She should go through her ipod tonight and scroll through her library of songs. This was so confusing! She wasn't sure what they were expecting of her? If they were just looking for her to perform some songs like she had at the tavern, then this would be easy. She would be more than happy to just lip synch her way through this. Less stress. What should she wear? Something classy or something more racy and revealing? She thought of asking Vegeta, but also knew if he had his way, he would have had her wear a snow suit and a paper bag over her head. She snickered at his over protectiveness.

"What's so funny, Woman?" a deep voice asked from behind her.

"Vegeta!" Bulma exclaimed turning around to face him. "You scared me."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied walking up to her. "You should be more aware of your surroundings. Anyone could sneak up on you."

"Well, you're the only one I know that comes in here." She replied teasingly.

"All the same," he said putting his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him.

"I guess," she sighed leaning into him. "So, since you're back early, can we go to Bardock's lab? I finished something. I wanted to get his take on it and maybe they can start building a prototype."

"Is it whatever has been occupying every spare moment of yours these past few days?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bulma nodded. "It's all done over there." She said pointing to the stack of papers on the table behind them.

"Will you finally tell me what it is you've been doing?"

"Sure! It's my best work yet!" she replied excitedly, walking over to her work. She was just dying to tell him about it. "I designed it with you in mind and call it the Gravity Simulation Room."

"What's a Gravity Simulation Room?" he asked curiously, intrigued by her enthusiasm, following her to the table with the huge stack of paperwork she had been absorbed with.

"Bardock had started plans on a training room. I took the plans he started on and made it better! I figured we could build it out of that alloy stuff you found. It will be compact and portable so you could take it anywhere if you capsulate it so that your training in will never be interrupted no matter where you go." She started, flipping through her papers, showing him a drawing she had made with the outside design. "Do you want to know the best feature though?"

"What's that?" he asked, genuinely interested. So far it sounded good. He had come to Bardock a while ago and had asked for his own training facility. He assumed this must have been it.

"I came up with it all on my own and put a lot of work and thought into it; I think it would really be able to help you." She said quickly, trying to remember to slow her speech down in her excitement. "It's what I call the gravity simulator. It is able to give you the feeling that you are working or walking in increased gravity than what is currently on this planet. While only a simulation though, you would need to be extremely careful not to flatten yourself. You could train in up to 500 times the gravity on this planet and-"

"Increase my speed and strength." Vegeta replied, finishing her sentence.

"That's what I was thinking!" she exclaimed excitedly, thrilled that he had caught on to her idea.

"Woman, this is amazing in theory and would be very helpful, if possible." Vegeta said in wonder at the possibility and that his woman had come up with it all on her own.

"It should be." Bulma replied looking quickly through her paperwork to find the mathematical theory she had written out. "I worked it all out and broke everything down here." she said, handing him two pages worth of symbols and numerical code.

"Woman, this is far beyond anything I could even begin to understand." He replied looking at the pages she had given him but handing them back to her. "I only hope Bardock will be able to decipher this because I cannot."

"But it's really simple, Vegeta." Bulma said enthusiastically. She was in full blown "tech mode".

"Save it for Bardock." Vegeta interrupted her again.

Bulma stopped and slumped down a bit in disappointment.

"Woman," Vegeta sighed heavily. He had obviously offended her. "I do not mean to offend. This is extraordinary what you may have created. I have no doubt that it will work. I only do not understand the science behind it. To explain it would be lost to me."

Bulma nodded and smiled at him, knowing she had just gotten carried away in her excitement.

"All I need to know is will this work?" he asked.

"It should. There's no reason why not. I've even worked it out so that it can withstand high pressure from your ki blasts and heavy physical blows if you decide to spar with someone else."

"That is all I need to know." He replied, handing her back her paperwork and pulling her close to him and kissing her on the forehead. "We must get this to Bardock. There isn't a moment to spare. How long do you think until it will be ready?"

"Oh wow, just the prototype alone," Bulma replied, exhaling heavily, puffing out her cheeks while doing the calculations in her head. "Like weeks?" she offered.

"Weeks?!" Vegeta exclaimed.

"Vegeta, to build it alone will take a while, not to mention the Gravity Simulator itself will be a huge undertaking. There will need to be tons of tests run to make sure it's perfectly safe. If even one element or component of my calculations is off by even a fraction, you could be crushed and killed." Bulma reasoned. "And that's just for the prototype. I'm sure there will be changes that will be needed to ensure it runs properly and is completely safe. I'm sure there's a ton of things I didn't even think of…"

He interrupted her rambling with a kiss. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, relieved that he was interested in the Gravity Room. She had spent so much time on it and she wanted nothing more than to help him achieve his goal.

"We will leave now and take this to Bardock." He said looking at her intensely. He was so proud of her. He was proud that she was able to come up with something so amazing all on her own. He was literally blown away. If he hadn't thought her to be anything less than a genius before, he knew she was now. What really moved him more than anything was knowing how much time and thought and energy she had put into this and it was all to help him achieve his goal. She may not be able to help in the physical battle, but this was her contribution. He would be more than proud to say he had increased his fighting strength because of the help from this little woman.

Bulma smiled brightly and gathered up her paperwork.

They reached Bardocks lab within a few minutes and she presented and explained everything to him. Vegeta leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed and watched her as she broke every last detail down to the head scientist. She looked so beautiful when she was relaxed and confident and in her element. He felt bad that he had cut off her explanation earlier. This was something she really loved to do- inventing new things. It was like a completely different side to her emerged when she was in the lab; not that he wasn't attracted to her when she wasn't absorbed in scientific things but he could see her being a huge asset on her planet in this kind of setting. Her father must have been very proud of her. He smirked as he saw Bardock frown at her explanation of how to achieve this gravity simulation. He was completely absorbed in it. It appeared that Bardock was just as blown away as he had been when she explained it to him.

"Well?" Bulma asked once she had gone through everything. "What do you think? Can it be of help to Vegeta?"

"Bulma, every day I have spent working with you humbles me more than the day before." Bardock exclaimed. "This is absolutely astounding!"

Bulma smiled proudly. How in the hell did you manage to come up with this?" the older Saiyan asked, looking over the equation again trying to fully understand it.

"I don't know." Bulma shrugged. "I saw the specs for the training room and thought of it while I was designing and upgrading the rest of it. It just kinda came to me by accident. I didn't even know if it would be of any use. It could be dangerous."

"This should work." Bardock mumbled, still analyzing the mathematics.

"So you understand it?" Bulma asked hopefully.

"I think I do. I will need your help. But I have a pretty good idea of how to do this. It looks like you've calculated this out perfectly." Bardock nodded. "I cannot believe I didn't think of this."

"Well if it weren't for your design of a training room in the first place, I might not have even thought about it myself."

"Your Highness, I feel I have failed you. I pride myself on my knowledge of all things scientific, yet in one week I have been humbled many times by a simple girl you happened to have found." Bardock said shaking his head and turning to his prince. "We must find a way to keep her safe."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied.

"Should it ever be possible, you have my respect and allegiance as our queen." Bardock said to her.

"Oh, thank you, Bardock." Bulma replied, feeling her face grow warm. "I don't know if that will ever be possible but-"

"Of course it will." Vegeta interrupted. "I will take no one else."

Bulma smiled and looked down at her feet. There wasn't anything she'd want more than for Vegeta to make her his Queen but she knew that it wasn't realistic at this point. She still appreciated his determination though. She'd fight for him as long as he still saw her worthy enough to fight for.

"We will have to see how this week unfolds." Bardock said seriously. "We have to make sure you do not leave here with Lord Frieza. It is a possibility."

"I know." Bulma said. She had been worrying nonstop since Vegeta warned her of the potential possibility.

"I will die before I let that disgusting lizard or any of his peons take her with them." Vegeta growled.

"You both have my support." Bardock replied. "I will do whatever I can."

"Thank you." Bulma said with a smile.

"When can we start building this Gravity Room?" Vegeta asked, changing the subject.

"We may start tomorrow. I will take these design schematics to the technicians. They can start building it." Bardock said. "It will take a few days. I will let you know when we are ready to start on the Gravity Simulation. I will need your help."

Bulma nodded. "You know where to find me."

After a few more minutes, Vegeta left Bardock's lab with Bulma and the two headed back to his personal wing of the palace.

Once the door was closed, Vegeta pulled her into a tight embrace. "I am so proud of you, Woman." He said against her neck, breathing in her scent.

"I'm glad to help." She said wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning into him contentedly.

"You have done more than help." He said, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. "I will easily be able to attain my goal now. And once that happens, I will take the throne and make you my queen. You have my word."

"There isn't anything I want more, but what if no one accepts me?" she asked, looking worriedly up at him.

"Then to hell with them." He replied looking intensely at her.

She knew he meant it but that didn't make her any less afraid.

"If they do not accept you, then they do not accept me." He said simply, squeezing her to emphasize his point.

Bulma closed the gap between them and kissed him. He kissed her back deeply. Trying to convey everything he felt for her and all his confidence he had in her to her. In his mind, she was his perfect match in every way.

Their make out session was interrupted by Vegeta's scouter going off.

"What?" Vegeta grumbled. His father was on the other line.

Bulma looked at him, noting his abrupt change in demeanor. Not two seconds ago he was relaxed and kissing her with a passion that made her head spin.

"Alright." He barked back. "I'll be there momentarily." He said and disconnected.

"What's up?" Bulma asked, assuming it wasn't anything good if he was leaving to see his father so late in the day.

"Lord Frieza has just arrived." Vegeta replied.

He quickly changed into his royal armor and headed to his father's throne room. Best figure out what he wants and get this over and done with as quickly as possible. Maybe the sooner he met with the Lizard Lord the sooner he would leave. He didn't knock when he got there, just walked in.

"Why hello, my _dear_ Prince Vegeta." Frieza greeted. "How wonderful to see you again after such a long time."

"What do you want?" Vegeta asked indifferently, avoiding wasting time with formalities. He wasn't going to bow down to him and kiss his ass. He never had when he was sent away to learn under him, despite the many beatings he had received as a result of such blatant disrespect, and he sure wasn't going to start now.

"Now, is that any way to greet your former mentor?" Lord Frieza asked as if scolding a small child.

"I do apologize, Lord Frieza," King Vegeta replied, shooting his son a dirty look. "My Son has been lacking manners and the proper formalities as of late."

"That is quite alright, my King." Frieza replied, his gaze not leaving Vegeta. Something was different about him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he could sense it. He was every bit as breathtaking as he had remembered. Oh yes, he remembered everything about the young Prince. However, there was something different about the way he carried himself, something a bit off. Not in a bad way. Maybe it was confidence? He didn't know, but he liked it.

"I have many things to tend to. I just do not wish to waste my time this evening." Vegeta said with an impatient sigh. How he hated that Lizard Lord. Even the way he was looking at him made him want to vomit.

"So I hear." Frieza nodded, looking intently at the Prince. He had already heard about the Prince's infatuation with some girl he had brought back. His father had already filled him in on it and was greatly concerned. The thought that Vegeta had given his attentions or affections to anyone bothered him immensely. He had wanted the young Prince to himself for many years. Vegeta was just too stubborn to realize it.

"So let's get on with it then." Vegeta said, taking a seat.

"Alright, my impatient Prince." Frieza replied. "I have already discussed much with your father and he is agreeable. I wish for you to return to your station on my ship."

"Why?" Vegeta replied, dumbfounded. As if he would ever agree to going back and serving under Frieza again.

"Your father agrees that a few more years under my guidance will better prepare you to take his throne. As well, I would like nothing more than for you to rejoin my ranks. You have been greatly missed, my Prince."

"I think I'll pass." Vegeta replied without hesitation. "There is too much to be done here. My father needs my help. I can learn from him first hand everything I need to know."

"Suit yourself, Prince Vegeta." Frieza said with a shrug. "However if you do return, I will promote you to a general. As you know, only Zarbon holds such a high title among my many soldiers. No one else. I have no doubt that if you apply yourself, you will be able to surpass him in no time. I will make you my first Lieutenant. You could be my right hand man. Just think, next to the Ice-jin, the Saiyan race is second in strength and power in the Universe. With you at my right hand, we could rule this Universe together. No one would be able to stand up to us. It would be glorious."

Vegeta sighed heavily. On one hand, the promotion was great! It was something he had once wanted more than anything in thinking that if he had Frieza's respect, maybe his life under his rule would be easier. However, that was a goal he dismissed many many years ago. He wanted no part in anything to do with Frieza. All he wanted to do was destroy him. Why would he want to be the right hand man of this evil individual? It was bad enough already that his name was linked to the tyrant. His name forever tarnished. He had destroyed entire planets and races at Frieza's command. People trembled in fear at the mere mention of his name. He would have to live the rest of his life trying to repair the damage done to his name and the name of the Saiyan race simply because of the things he had done in doing Frieza's bidding.

"I think it is an excellent opportunity, my Son." The King said, taking Vegeta out of his thoughts.

"I thought you wanted me here." Vegeta replied, trying to think up any excuse to get him out of going back to life on Frieza's ship. He didn't think he would be able to survive that again. Not with his sanity intact, anyway. Not only that, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat offended that his father would encourage him to take leave. He knew how much Vegeta loathed Frieza.

"I do, but I think it would be unwise to pass this opportunity up." The King said, glaring at his son. "You have, after all decided that you are not ready to take a mate, which means that I will be required to rule a little longer than I would like. Therefore, what harm would there be in you spending a few more years with Lord Frieza and learning firsthand how to lead an empire. I think it would be good for you."

So that was it then? If he took Asia as a mate, he would be spared the hell of having to serve under Frieza for a few more years? _Fuck that for a game of darts!_ He thought to himself. Why was everything in his life always a decision between the worst case scenario or the worst case scenario? He considered his options for a few more seconds. Definitely, it was better to go back in Lord Frieza's service than to tie himself down to Asia for the rest of his life.

"I don't require an answer now, Vegeta." Lord Frieza said, interrupting his thoughts. "I have much to discuss with your father. I will be here for a week or so. I will expect your decision by the time I am ready to leave."

"I will give it some thought then, Lord Frieza." Vegeta replied, thankful that he had some time to maybe think up another option as a way out other than slitting his wrists. He was not going to be leaving with that deranged Lizard and he sure as hell wasn't going to agree to take Asia as his mate.

"Please do. I know you will not disappoint me, my Prince." Frieza replied with a syrupy smile. "You are dismissed."

Without a reply, Vegeta left the throne room and angrily stomped back to his quarters.

There was no way in hell he would go back to service on Frieza's ship; promotion or not. He knew he most likely had little choice in the matter but he would fight it as best he could. Even the thought of taking Asia as a mate would be worse than more time in Frieza's service. At least agreeing to a few more years in hell, he knew there would be a way out. If he agreed to mate with Asia, that would sentence him to a full lifetime of hell. Not to mention he would not betray Bulma like that.

 _Frieza's ship it is then, I guess. Unless I can figure something else out._ He thought bitterly to himself. The plus side was that at least Bulma might be safe. He wouldn't risk bringing her with him. As much as it pained him to even think of leaving her, he would rather that than have her anywhere near Frieza and his men. These few days having her exposed to them would be nerve wracking enough for him.

He took off his armor and tossed it on the floor and headed to his bedroom. It had been a long day. Between the amount of training he had been putting in and now the hassle that was Frieza, he had a splitting headache. He sighed deeply and looked at Bulma who was asleep already.

He stripped down to just his shorts and carefully crawled into bed so as not to wake Bulma.

"Hey," she murmured, barely audibly.

"I thought you were asleep." He said pulling her into his arms.

"Almost." She said stifling a yawn. "How did it go?"

"Hmmn." He growled. "I do not want to talk about it."

"Did you at least find out what he wanted and why he's here?"

Vegeta sighed deeply, knowing she wouldn't let the matter rest until he told her what had gone on. "He wants me to return to his ship."

"That's it?"

"Well, he wants to promote me. Make me a general if I return." He replied, settling in comfortably with her in his arms. He already felt better, her presence soothing him.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She asked, truly unsure. Usually a promotion was a good thing. Something to be celebrated. However Frieza was a monster and Vegeta didn't sound thrilled so this must be a bad thing. Otherwise he'd have come in here gloating.

"I do not want it." He said simply.

"Well on the plus side, maybe if he takes me, then you can come too?" she asked, trying to be optimistic but knowing she was most likely failing.

"You will not be coming with me if I have to go." He replied.

"Why not?" She asked feeling slightly offended.

"Because it would be the worst idea to take you on his ship." He grated back.

"At least we would be together."

"I won't risk it. You'd be a walking target."

"I thought I already was." She replied, slightly confused.

"I told you, if Frieza or any of his cohorts think you mean anything at all to me, they will take you away from me and you will be made to suffer." He sighed, wishing she would let this go. "Maybe then this could be a way out for you."

"What do you mean? I thought you said you didn't want to go."

"I don't. But if I did go, I'd just give you to Bardock or Kakarott. That would remove you from any potential threats."

"You'd just give me to them." She repeated, suddenly having the fact that she still was just a slave come crashing back on to her. Vegeta had never made her feel like a slave or even mention that fact since he had first brought her back from the tavern.

"Do you have a better idea?" He barked back angrily. "My other option would be to take you with me and risk having things done to you that I do not even want to fathom. If I don't give you to someone else of my choosing, my father would take you. You do not want that or you'll be either sent to the harem or sold at the next auction. Even with my absence, Asia and my father will be plotting to be rid of you.

"I will speak with Bardock tomorrow. Ask him if his mate would allow you to stay there as a house maid or whatever. He would make sure you were kept safe and you could still help him. You would remain there until my return. In the meantime, I have to figure out a way to talk myself out of having to go with Frieza. That is the only way."

"And your Father agrees with you leaving?"

"My father knows how much I despise Frieza. He's pretty much given me an ultimatum. I am to either take Asia as a mate or return to Frieza and work under him a few more years." Vegeta growled.

Bulma sighed and shook her head. "This is getting really complicated." She murmured.

"Hmmn." He agreed.

"And you'd rather go back into Frieza's service than take Asia?"

"Woman, are you out of your mind?!" he exclaimed.

"No, just trying to think logically which would be the lesser of two evils is all." Bulma replied defensively.

"Woman, I told you already: I will take no one else as my mate but you. Especially not that bitch." He growled. "Does my word mean so little to you?"

"No, Vegeta." She replied firmly. "I believe you. I know you meant it when you said it. Believe me; you choosing her instead would hurt me more than anything. I'm just afraid of what would become of you if you went back. You haven't told me much about your life with Frieza but you've told me enough that I think it's a bad idea for you to go back."

"I survived seven years under the bastard and was sent as a boy, I think I can handle a few short years now." He replied bravely, trying to convince himself as well as her.

"Why don't we just leave." she said quickly, turning herself around in his arms so she was facing him. "Let's leave together."

"Do not be ridiculous, Woman." He scoffed at her.

"I'm not being ridiculous."

"Alright, and where would we go, Woman?" He sneered.

"I don't know." She shrugged. Until Earth had been destroyed, she hadn't known there was life across the galaxy.

"Exactly. There is nowhere to go." Vegeta replied harshly. "Every planet on this side of the universe knows who I am. They all know who Frieza is. Everyone fears us. I have done unspeakable things, I am certain there are bounties out for me for the atrocities I have committed in his name. If we leave, we will be hunted, not only by those who hold a grudge against me, but by my father and by Frieza himself. We would never be safe. You would never be safe. "

"There has to be a few planets out there who don't know who you are and know nothing about Frieza."

"There isn't, Woman."

"There has to be." Bulma insisted. "My planet didn't know. I'm sure there has to be others out there as well."

"Woman, do you know how long it would take to find a planet like that?" Vegeta replied.

"So? We could hide there and you could train and then take out Frieza and your father and take your rightful place." Bulma replied confidently.

"I'm telling you, Woman, it won't work. This side of the galaxy-"

"Then what if we travelled to the other side?" She interrupted him passionately. Why couldn't he understand how simple this was? "There has to be somewhere else that has inhabitants that wouldn't recognize your face and not know who Frieza was. I refuse to believe Earth was the only one."

"Yea, and look where that got your stupid planet, Woman." Vegeta replied harshly. He sensed her anger at his thoughtless comment. He hadn't meant to come across like that. "Even if we did find some planet by chance, it would be some back water place."

"But we could still hide there and you could continue to train. We will bide our time and come back when you are ready." She would have mentioned that they could find someplace to live their lives peacefully together, but she knew Vegeta wouldn't be satisfied with that scenario for long. He would never be content until Frieza was destroyed.

"And if we end up on some useless mudball, how am I to train and ascend? That Gravity Room hasn't been started."

"We could leave here with tools and materials and pick up whatever we need as we go along. I am a genius, after all. I designed it. I can build it on my own. It will take me months on my own, but it could be done." She said confidently. "I could even start some of it on our travels."

He smiled at her determinedness. He knew she meant well. And he believed she could make it happen, he didn't doubt that. It was that spirit that drew him to her. She made him feel like he could accomplish anything when he felt like things were hopeless. "It is a good idea," he said kissing her forehead.

"But?"

"But too risky." He finished.

"How would it be risky? If we find someplace in the middle of nowhere, then where's the risk?"

"You are assuming such a place exists." He argued.

"It has to! My planet-"

"Doesn't exist anymore. And I will not waste valuable time and resources travelling around the galaxy in search for what might not exist." Vegeta interrupted her. "I understand where you are coming from and I appreciate it. But it is not practical."

"How do you know if you don't even try?" She asked with a heavy sigh.

"I do not have the time to waste." He replied. "And what happens if we cannot find a planet to reside on, hmm? Just return here like nothing ever happened?"

"I don't know." She shrugged in defeat.

Vegeta pulled her closer to him, wrapping his tail around her waist and resting his forehead against hers. "We will figure something out, Woman. I will make sure you are safe one way or another."

"I know, Vegeta." She said, her mind racing, trying to think of a decent scenario. "So I will need to perform tomorrow night?"

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied. He was not looking forward to that. Having to sit back and watch her perform and watch all Frieza and his men and all the other males in attendance drool all over her.

"I have a few things planned out." She continued. "Do you know how long he is staying?"

"He said a week or so. I have to have an answer for him by then."

"Alright. So, I will prepare for seven nights. So, like five or six songs per evening then?" she asked. She still didn't really know how to prepare for this. Every time she tried to ask him, he just got all grouchy and changed the subject.

"That should suffice." He replied, cringing inwardly. The less exposure she had the better. "Just don't be over provocative."What if he couldn't prevent Frieza from taking her with him as well? He knew Frieza would want her and if he didn't, Zarbon or one of his other lackeys would. _Damn, that Asia!_ He cursed to himself. He would have to find a way to repay her for this.

Vegeta took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He took in Bulma's scent. It always seemed to calm him down. He looked down at her and noticed that she had fallen asleep. _I will find a way to keep you safe, Little One. Then we will be together. You will be mine and I will be yours._ He thought to himself as he let sleep claim him.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 10** _

The next morning, Bulma awoke earlier than normal but still by herself, as usual. She got herself dressed and found Bardock waiting for her in the living room area of Vegeta's quarters. He escorted her off to his lab, where they began planning the first stages of the gravity room. They both knew time was of the essence. After a few hours, Bardock escorted her to the large banquet room where she would be performing. Thankfully, there were a few other acts planned so the whole event wasn't solely placed on her shoulders.

Bulma had figured out that she would need at least five or six songs a night. She handed someone her ipod and they showed her how to hook it up. Easy. It was almost the same as it had been at the Tavern. There was even a feature where she could edit out the voice of the person singing so she had the option of singing herself if she wanted. She didn't think she would do that. Lip synching should be good enough, but it was nice to know she had the option if she changed her mind. She could sing pretty much anything she had on her ipod and knew all the songs well enough that she could deliver a kick ass performance. She had plenty on her ipod, so she decided that she would do something different every night she had to be up there to keep it interesting. Tonight she decided she would kick off with Christina Aguillera. Her stuff was sultry and sexy. Every time she chose something at the tavern from Christina, it had been a huge success. Bulma's favorite era had always been the 20's, 30's and 40's and anything to do with a flapper/burlesque vibe, and Christina Aguillera had plenty of tracks done in that style. This way, she could be sexy and alluring without being too trashy. Hopefully. That was her plan anyway.

Bulma chose her songs and left the back stage with a grin on her face. _This might be fun, after all._ She thought to herself. The songs she had chosen were among her favorites and shouldn't be too provocative that Vegeta should be too upset with her.

"What's so funny?" Bardock asked her.

"Nothing. Just put together my performance for the evening is all. Are you going to be there tonight too?" she asked.

"For a little while." Bardock replied. "I have to at least make a brief appearance. I will do that and then go home to spend some time with my mate."

"What's she like?" Bulma asked. Bardock very rarely ever spoke of her.

"She is beautiful. Smart. Everything a Saiyan woman should be." Bardock said with pride.

"You should bring her! I'd love to meet her." Bulma said excitedly.

"Hmmn." Bardock replied with a slight smile. His mate, Penelope had been wanting to meet Bulma as well. "Perhaps. I will bring her one of these evenings. She avoids coming to the palace as much as possible."

"Okay." Bulma replied sensing there was a story behind it and dying to ask, but she had the feeling Bardock, in typical Saiyan fashion, wouldn't tell her anyway. "Well, let her know I'd love to meet her and if she wants to come, she should! Even if it's only once."

"I will do that." Bardock nodded, thankful Bulma didn't ask any questions. It was a long story. "Where else do you need to be today?"

"I need to go to Amira's to get a few wardrobe changes made and that's it. I should start getting ready for tonight." Bulma said.

"Alright, I will escort you there and to Vegeta's personal quarters once you are done." Bardock didn't want to leave her on her own. He had been extremely surprised that they hadn't run into Frieza or any of his men today. Not even Asia had been around. Bardock wouldn't leave her unprotected in the event that they did happen to cross their paths at some point.

Bulma went though a few ideas with Amira, who was more than thrilled to get going and promised her the two outfits she'd asked for. She was excited to work on something different. One dress was a silver, shiny, very short flapper-style dress; the other a skimpy sailor outfit, hat and all. Amira let her know that she would have them both completed in just a few hours and she would have them delivered to the Prince's suite.

Bardock shook his head as they left Amira's. He had been listening to the two women while they drew up the dress patterns. _Vegeta is going to have a fit._ He thought to himself.

"What?!" Bulma asked as she saw him shaking his head.

"You know what." Bardock replied. "Vegeta is not going to approve of your choice of attire."

"No, probably not, but that's his problem." Bulma said with a shrug. Deep down she knew that he'd be upset with her. "I have to make this believable. If I show up on stage dressed like a frump, like Vegeta would want, this whole thing will be a disaster."

"True, but he still won't like it."

"Well, I figure if I can pull this thing off without a hitch, then it'll mean less attention directed at us since no one will be in trouble." Bulma reasoned. "Plus, Vegeta said for me to just do what I did at the tavern, which is exactly what I'm doing."

"Just do not tell him I accompanied you. Tell him I waited in the hallway until you were done." Bardock said with a sigh. "I want no part."

"You didn't even give me an opinion one way or another. You didn't even speak to us. You're in the clear." Bulma said, waving her hand in dismissal.

Bardock gave her a look.

"Alright, I'll tell him you were nowhere near." Bulma said.

"Hmmn." Bardock replied with a satisfied nod. "I will see you later on this evening then."

"Forsure!" Bulma replied, heading into Vegeta's suite.

Bulma had three hours. Vegeta would come to pick her up and escort her to the back stage. She decided to run herself a bath and pamper herself and calm herself down. She was really nervous. This was a crowd she had no idea what to expect from. She knew Asia and the King would be watching and judging her. Most importantly, Vegeta would be watching her. She wanted to put on a good show for him as well.

Bulma began running herself a hot bubble bath and in the meantime, decapsuled her wardrobe and makeup options. She laid out a bunch of cute outfits she had acquired from the tavern. Many of them could be used this week. She just had to choose. She put her makeup in the bathroom, thankful that there was a huge mirror and tons of counter space available. Finally, she grabbed a razor to shave her legs, a face mask, red nail polish and a bottle of wine before settling into the nice warm water, her ipod in hand and plugged her ears in; replaying some of the songs she had chosen just to refresh her memory.

After an hour or so, Bulma had her hair up in a wet bun, away from her face. She had painted her nails and toes bright red while soaking in the tub. She wore a powder pink silk house coat that came down to her mid thigh. She poured herself another glass of wine, put her ipod on shuffle for Christina Aguillera songs- she did have 71 in total- just in case she changed her mind on which songs to do and got started applying her foundation.

It felt like forever since she had done a full makeup on herself. She didn't need to. It was too hot on the planet Vegeta-sei to even want to put a ton of make-up on. Secondly, Vegeta seemed to prefer her with less make-up on. So since her arrival, she hadn't bothered with the exception of mascara and some lip gloss. She kinda missed putting make-up on.

A knock on the bathroom door interrupted her thoughts. "It's alright. Come in." She replied, not looking away from the mirror.

Vegeta walked in and looked at her. "Jeepers, Woman!" he exclaimed, looking at her face. It was as though she had erased all her features except for her eyes.

"What?!" she exclaimed, looking at him in exasperation.

"What have you done to your face?" he asked sitting on the toilet looking at her with a shocked frown on his face.

"I'm doing my make up." She replied rolling her eyes and making sure her foundation was flawlessly blended.

"You look like a ghost." He replied, looking warily at her before pouring himself a glass of her wine.

"Well, I'm not done yet!"

"I should hope not." He said, still looking at her. "You don't need all that crap on your face."

"Thank you, Vegeta, that's very sweet but if I am to be performing, I do need it." She said, giving him a glance with a small smile and picking up a brush and started with her eye shadow. "You got done early today? I wasn't expecting you for at least another hour or so."

"I left." He replied. "I thought it advisable to return here." he added awkwardly, not wanting to admit anything more than that. She could make up her own assumptions.

Bulma held back a smile. _Awe, how sweet! He came early to just spend some time with me._ She thought to herself.

"Do you wish me to leave?" he asked almost in alarm.

"No, no. I like the company! Please stay." She replied, grabbing another brush. "Just don't expect me to say a lot. But you can stay."

"Hmmn, so there are moments when you can be quiet then." He said playfully. "I will have to keep this in mind."

"Shut up." She shot back. "I'll have you know that putting on make up is a ritual. It takes a lot of precision and concentration. By the way, part of said ritual is needing my wine and I'll need another bottle."

"Hmmn. Don't be getting yourself too inebriated." He said, leaving to grab another bottle from the other room.

"I'm fine right now." She replied, ignoring him. "Though I'm hoping by the time we leave here I'll be at least a little tipsy. I need to be if I'm going to pull this off properly."

"Why?"

"Just to relax. I was always half cut when I went on stage at the tavern." She shrugged.

"You weren't that night I met you." He objected. He hadn't been able to smell alcohol off her that night at all from what he could remember.

"It had probably worn off by that time." She said dismissively. "Once I get going, I'm alright. It's just hard getting up there at the beginning of the night. Once I'm up there and get the crowd going and whatever, I'm fine, I don't need it."

Vegeta nodded, accepting her explanation. In all honesty, the thought of getting inebriated himself was appealing. He was not looking forward to tonight. But he knew he couldn't risk that. Just in case things got out of hand for any reason. He needed his head to be clear and his reactions unimpaired.

He poured her another glass and watched her quietly as she expertly drew in a crease with her eye closed where the crease would be when she opened it and then blended it, making it less harsh.

"What?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable under his intense observation.

"Nothing, just watching you do that."

"Well, when you are applying your make up, not that it applies to you, but when you do, you need to create a flawless canvas. Hence all the foundation." She explained, starting on her other eye. "Then you draw in and highlight the features you want. You can make your eyes larger or make it look like you have high cheek bones if you don't naturally. Up play your positive features, downplay the ones you don't like so much." She knew she was just rambling, but she couldn't help herself. She was extremely nervous about tonight. So she rambled in an attempt to calm herself down.

"False advertizing." He growled, still watching her carefully. He knew she was nervous. He wanted to say something to her, but couldn't come up with anything.

"I guess." She shrugged. "You're still working with what you've got. There's only so much make up can do. I'm just enhancing a few things. Like my eyes. "

Vegeta nodded and continued to watch her as she quickly continued to blend several different colors and eventually, it looked less painted and more natural. He couldn't believe he was actually sitting there watching the woman do something so mundane and he was actually somewhat enjoying it. Okay, he was really enjoying it. He admitted. It fascinated him. In just a few short minutes she had gone from having no features to making her eyes look like they were popping out- in a good way.

He silently observed as she added eyeliner to both her upper and lower lids and flared the end of the liner up and out dramatically. He was impressed at the precision and how she was quickly able to do both eyes, exactly the same. She added false lashes that were dramatically longer on the outside and almost non-existent on the inside.

Bulma turned and batted her eyes dramatically at him. "See?"

"Uh-huh." He replied, rolling his eyes.

"Grump." She replied as she began to draw in her brows and then applied blush and bright red lipstick. She was done with her makeup and just needed to finish drying her hair and they could go. She wasn't going to do it until she got back stage.

"What the hell are you listening to?" he asked.

"It's Christina Aguillera." She replied. "I'll be singing a few of her songs tonight. That's why I'm listening to her."

"Well, don't sing that one." He grumbled. It was a song called "I Am."

"I'm not singing that one, don't worry. But I like that song. It's beautiful. It reminds me of you. Of us." She replied with a frown. "Kinda."

"That's why. It's weak." He replied, wishing he had rephrased that differently.

"Uh, huh." Bulma retorted, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, Mister Macho. There was a song I wanted to sing for you though. Would that be okay?"

"Hmmn. As long as it's nothing embarrassing." Vegeta replied, rolling his eyes.

"It might be, for you. You're such a prude in public." She said teasingly.

"I am no prude, Woman." He objected.

"Sure…" she laughed.

He frowned. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, only if you're okay with it." She said with a raised eyebrow. "It's kinda sexy and provocative and includes a quick lap dance thing. You get to give me a spanking in front of everyone for being bad."

He smirked at that. While the thought was appealing, he wasn't sure it was a good idea. "As much as I would like that, you probably shouldn't."

"I understand." She nodded. "I just thought it would be neat, you know, then everyone would know that I'm yours."

That piqued his interest. "Hmmn. Maybe. So long as it isn't any sappy nonsense. Most of the crap on that thing of yours is all about professing love or some rubbish."

"No, there isn't any of that for this number." She said shaking her head. "It's more provocative and lust driven more than anything. I'll just straddle your lap while I sing a song about wanting you to do nasty naughty things to me. And then you get to give me a swat on my ass and that's it."

"That's it, huh?"

"Yea. I thought of it because then no one would bug us about wondering if we were doing it or not. It should be out of the question after that."

"Hmmn. Alright." He said, still unsure about this idea but agreeing anyway.

"Don't worry! You'll be the envy of every guy there." She smirked.

"I already am the envy of everyone there." He replied, giving her a quick smack on her ass and left the bathroom as she started drying her hair. He had stayed far longer than he had meant to. He liked observing her though. He started looking through some of the clothes items strewn across his bed. He had no doubt she would look amazing in all of them and growled at the thought that anyone else but him should get to see her in them. He quickly changed into his formal armor while she was still putzing around in the bathroom with her hair.

He left the bedroom to answer a knock on his door. It was a young slave dropping off a few more ensembles for Bulma. He took them, rolled his eyes and shut the door.

"Woman!" He bellowed. "Your stuff has arrived." He announced, tossing the bag on the bed with the mountain of clothes that were already there.

Bulma raced out of the bathroom and squealed in delight as she rifled through the bag. "They're perfect!" she exclaimed.

"Do I get to see?"

"Nope!" she snapped, closing the bag up and taking it with her to the bathroom so he wouldn't decide to peek when she wasn't looking.

"Why not?"

"It's a surprise!" she replied with a mischievous smile.

"Are you about done yet?" he said with a huge sigh.

"Yea, I'm going to finish my hair later. I have different hair styles chosen for different outfits!" She replied excitedly.

"Good, let's go then." He grumbled. He really didn't want to go to this thing. It meant he had to be polite to and converse with all the people he hated most on this universe. On top of that, he had to watch them drool and gawk at his woman all night too. He just hoped he could make it through the evening without killing someone.

Bulma downed the rest of her nearly-full glass of wine and skipped towards Vegeta. She was feeling quite tipsy at the moment. She threw her arms around his neck and went to kiss him when he moved his head to the side and pushed her gently away from him.

"Do not kiss me." He replied.

"Why not?"she asked, pouting.

"I don't want that crap all over my face." He replied, referring to her lipstick.

"It won't. See?" she replied, rubbing the back of her hand across her lips and showing him.

"Hmmn. You'd better be right." He replied, pulling her back towards him and kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Vegeta wrapped his arms around her waist and slowly walked backwards, taking her with him, and sat down in an arm chair next to his bed, not breaking their kiss. He pulled her into his lap and raised an eyebrow at her when instead of sitting on his lap, she straddled him. He had never seen her tipsy before. She was really bold. _I will have to remember that._ He thought, smirking and kissed her again.

They had a few minutes still before they needed to leave. He pulled her closer to him and kept one hand on the small of her back and the other he allowed to wander down and explore her long leg. He let it travel back up and slip under her silk house coat until he felt the band of a very small pair of lacy panties on her hip.

"Hmmn." He growled in surprise. He had assumed she wore nothing underneath. He broke their kiss and looked at her. She was so beautiful. She breathlessly looked back at him with an intensity that matched his own. He removed his hand from her hip and ran his fingers gently through her hair, marveling at the soft texture of it.

Bulma looked at him and saw her own emotions reflected back at her in his eyes. It was a rare unguarded moment for him, but she saw the fear and concern there and an intensity that made her feel warm all over. She leaned forward, hugging him tightly and rested her head on his shoulder, burying her face in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes. She loved the feeling of having him close to her. _I don't think I could ever tire of this._ She thought to herself as she struggled to catch her breath and calm her nerves. She wished she could just stay here with Vegeta and not go up on stage tonight. As if reading her thoughts, she relaxed as she felt Vegeta's hands slip under her house coat and caress the sides of her bare flesh in a comforting motion. If she could have, she would have melted into him. It always amazed her how such a strong man could be so gentle with her. She sighed in contentment as his hands continued to travel up and then back down her sides in a soothing motion.

Vegeta took in her scent and closed his eyes and enjoyed the close proximity. He continued to caress her gently, in an effort to comfort her and calm her down. He could hear her heart beating a mile a minute. He knew she was nervous. Hell, he was just as nervous! He wanted to say something to her to give her some reassurance, but the words wouldn't come. So, instead, he allowed his hands to say what he could not. He wrapped his arms around her bare torso and hugged her to him squeezing her gently and opened his eyes, turning his head to look down at her.

"We must go." He said quietly, breaking the silence.

Bulma nodded and opened her eyes. She kissed him lightly on his lips and tried to get up off his lap but he held her firmly in place. She looked at him in confusion.

"I will be keeping an eye on you all evening. No one will bother you." He said seriously. "I will not be able to accompany you back stage, but I will keep tabs on your energy signal. Should you be distressed for any reason, I will know and I will come back there and deal with it."

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "I know you will. By the way, for my number, just be sitting in a chair. I'll straddle you just like this. Alright?"

"Agreed. How will I know when?"

"It will be my third song. So when I'm getting changed, take a seat near the front of the stage." She smiled. She couldn't believe he had agreed to this! "You're sure you're alright with this?"

"No." he growled. "But since everyone is suspicious of our relationship, it may put a few things to rest. Just don't embarrass me with any mushy displays."

"Don't worry." She smiled and kissed him chastely.

He let her off his lap and watched as she capsulated all her hair and make-up stuff and all of her outfits. She quickly changed into a comfortable pair of pants and a black zip-up hoodie and announced that she was ready to go!

Vegeta escorted her down the halls to the banquet room and back behind the stage. He hadn't touched her since leaving his suite but kept close to her. His face was impassive and his body posture stiff. He followed her to where she was told her change room would be.

Bulma opened the door and switched the lights on and turned to him once more before leaving him for the evening. He looked completely different. He stood there with his arms crossed and his face like stone. Even his eyes gave nothing away. They were black and steely and emotionless. It sent a shiver down her spine. Not fifteen minutes ago, they were locked in a passionate embrace and she had been able to read him like an open book. She knew though, that he couldn't give anything away. For both their sakes.

"Enjoy the show, your Highness." She said wiggling her eyebrows.

"I will come to get you when you are done for the evening. Do not keep me waiting." He grumbled and then left.

Bulma rolled his eyes at his cold tone and closed her door. She had to get her hair up in a 40's do fast.

She put in some hot rollers and spritzed her hair with some product. She gave her makeup a quick once over, nodding at herself in approval that it was still flawless. Even her lipstick! She would have to tease Vegeta about that later on.

There was a knock on the door and she opened it and to her surprise, there stood Vegeta, still looking as grouchy as ever, but handed her a bottle of wine. She took it and smiled at him. However, his back was already turned and he was already half way down the hall before she had a chance to thank him.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta entered the large banquet hall. He looked around quickly. He couldn't see Kakarott, not even by the huge buffet table. He hoped the clown arrived soon. There wasn't anyone else that he cared to speak with. He decided to just take his seat at the head table. Maybe he would be left alone.

On his way to the table, Zarbon walked up to him.

"Hello, Prince Vegeta." He sneered. He hated using Vegeta's title. Unfortunately, since they were on Vegeta's planet, he was forced to adhere to proper etiquette. "How nice to see you again. It's been a long time."

"Not long enough, Zarbon." Vegeta growled. He hated the handsome green general almost as much as her hated Frieza. The only positive thing he had gotten out of his meeting with Frieza last night was that he would be given the opportunity to rid the universe of Zarbon and take his rank. He thought for a second on that, that reason alone might make for a good reason to take Lord Frieza up on his offer.

"You haven't changed a bit. Still as arrogant as ever, I see." He replied, rolling his eyes. "I hope you've kept up with your training, little Prince."

"Haven't missed a spare moment. I hope you've kept up with yours, Zarbon. I always was right behind you."

"Is true. Unfortunately, you'll never surpass me, Vegeta." Zarbon replied dismissively. "It is good to dream though." He added with a laugh.

"We'll see, Zarbon. We shall see." Vegeta replied, walking away before he lost his patience and put his fist through his chest. He had tried to measure Zarbon's energy signal and couldn't determine if he had increased his power or not. Either he was at the same level he was at the last time they'd met or he was suppressing his energy. No matter. One day he would get rid of him one way or another.

He made his way to his chair at the head table and quickly helped himself to a glass of red wine he would need it. He looked around the banquet hall. He had yet to see his father or Lord Frieza for that matter. He noticed Captain Ginyu near the entrance with Burter, Recoom and Jeyice. Dodoria was conversing with Zarbon by the bar. Kakarott was still nowhere to be seen and he hadn't noticed Bardock either, though he usually didn't stay long at functions such as these anyway.

Vegeta was so busy looking for his father, Kakarott and Lord Frieza that he failed to notice Asia taking a seat next to him.

"Hello, my Prince." She said to him, flipping her hair behind her shoulder.

"What do you want?" he sighed, not even turning to look at her.

"Nothing, my Prince. Only your company for the evening." She said hopefully.

"Well if it's my company you seek, you'll find yourself thoroughly disappointed." Vegeta replied.

"You're not still upset with me, are you?"

"Upset?" Vegeta repeated, glaring at her. "Upset would be an understatement. Have you any idea what you might have done, suggesting that Bulma perform all this week?"

"I have a pretty good idea." Asia replied with a shrug and a smug smile.

"If Frieza or any of his cohorts decide they are taking her with them, I will hold you personally responsible and it will sign your death warrant. Understand?" Vegeta said through gritted teeth. He wanted to strangle the bitch right now at this moment.

"I did it for your own good! I don't know why you brought that weak little thing here in the first place!" Asia shot back angrily. "It's a disgrace! You've made a laughing stock out of me!"

"You've made a disgrace out of yourself all on your own!" Vegeta seethed. "Now leave me alone."

Asia couldn't help but get a whiff of a foreign scent off of Vegeta and frowned. _It must be her_. Asia thought angrily to herself. "So, where is she? She is performing tonight, isn't she?"

"Of course she is, idiot woman. What are you on about?" Vegeta said rolling his eyes.

"Oh, just making sure. I can smell her all over you."

"So?" Vegeta frowned.

"So, she's such a frail specimen, I'm surprised you haven't broken her by now. I know how barbaric you Saiyan men are. I'm sure you're no different."

Vegeta only ignored her. He refused to confirm or deny anything. It wasn't any of her business. He was glad she could smell Bulma on him. _Good! Maybe she'll finally get the hint that I am not interested in her!_ He thought to himself.

"What is your problem?" Asia demanded angrily.

"Pardon?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"What is your problem with me?" Asia rephrased her previous demand.

"My problem? With you?" Vegeta repeated with a laugh. "My problem with you is that you cannot seem to take a hint. For whatever reason, you seem to have it in your head that you and I are meant for one another. I do not know where this ridiculous notion came from. I have never once led you to believe that you even had a chance with me or that I ever considered you for a second as a potential prospect. In the beginning, I tolerated your presence in hopes that if I ignored you, you would lose interest and move on. You seemed to mistake that as acceptance and continued to throw yourself at me.

"I then told you that I had no intention of pursuing anything with you when your advances became embarrassingly obvious and more aggressive. You then resorted to winning over my father in this little campaign of yours and no matter how many times I say to either of you that You will never be my mate, it is as if neither of you can comprehend this. I now resort to insults and low blows in order to hopefully convey my point to you and yet here you are forcing your company on me once again.

"So you want to know what my problem is with you? It is that you simply will not leave me alone!"

Asia took a slow deep breath in an effort to keep her emotions in check. She was not going to cry in front of him. She refused to give him the satisfaction. "So is that why you brought her back?" Asia asked. "As another way of telling me you aren't interested in me?"

"No, woman! Are you so selfish that you think my every action has something to do with you? My bringing Bulma here has absolutely nothing to do with you. If you must know, I never even gave you a second thought when I made my decision to bring her here. However, if you choose to look at it that way then yes, please add her to the list of evidence that has piled up as signs that I am not interested in you. I have told you before and I will tell you again: Go and find another. I have it on good authority that an Elite is in fact interested in you. Go chase after one of them."

"You know, if you would give me a chance, I think you would find that I'd be surprisingly good for you." She said calmly.

"You don't give up, do you? It's pathetic!" Vegeta spat. "You do not know anything about me."

"That's where you are wrong. You and I are very much alike. We are both passionate individuals. We both like a challenge and we both don't give up on acquiring our goals, no matter how impossible they may be to reach." She said immediately.

"The difference between you and me is yes, I work hard to achieve my goals but if that goal turns out to be a lost cause, I know when to cut my losses and move on. You do not." Vegeta replied dryly. Why was she still sitting here?

"With me by your side, we could accomplish great things for this planet." She persisted.

"I have already given you my answer." Vegeta replied, dismissing her.

"So, what? You'd rather have _her_ by your side? She's not even close to a Saiyan!"

Vegeta just sat there and promptly ignored her. He had to. He was getting close to blasting her to the other side of the room, not caring about the uproar that would result of such a thing. He was just tired of her constant desperate nagging.

"Do you love her?" Asia asked suspiciously.

"Don't be ridiculous." Vegeta scoffed. He was still trying to label what it was he felt for Bulma. He knew he cared deeply for her but he still couldn't quite wrap his head around that "love" word. Love to him meant weakness. He was far from weak. And Bulma certainly wasn't weak and he knew she loved him. Maybe it was love he felt for her; why else did a part of him felt bad about having to deny it just now?

"Oh, come on now." Asia said, rolling her eyes. "Why else have you gone through such great lengths to keep her hidden? It's become well known that you aren't even screwing her. Or, I didn't think you were until I sat down next to you tonight and I can smell her all over you. There must be something there. She's weak. Can't fight. The only thing I see there is a pretty face. I'm sure she'll outgrow her usefulness at some point. You wouldn't even be able to have a child with her. So why do you even keep her around? She can't possibly even be a descent lay."

"My, you are presumptuous." Vegeta replied in a bored tone. He was trying his best to ignore her and not react to anything she said. He couldn't give anything away where Bulma was concerned. The less he said or reacted the better.

"She wouldn't be any good for you!"

"Like you would have a clue as to what would or would not be good for me." He laughed.

"Your father thinks I would be good for you." She said, completely disregarding his last comment.

"Yet further proof you obviously know nothing about me. What my father thinks is good for me and what I think is good for me are very seldom the same thing. I do not blindly follow what my father wants. I do what I want. If you knew anything about me, you would at least know that." Vegeta replied coolly. "Now for god's sake woman, leave me alone!"

Asia rolled her eyes and left him sitting there by himself. She had some investigating to do. She had never felt so betrayed and humiliated. She had been holding out hope that maybe he truly wasn't interested in this girl since he wasn't using her. Then she had hoped that maybe if he did use her, he would kill her in the process. Now the fact that she could smell her all over him made it clear that he had been with her to some capacity and if she was well enough to perform then what did that mean? It meant that her only hope was to campaign to Frieza that he had to have this girl for himself.

Asia angrily left the banquet room and slipped back stage where people were frantically running around trying to make sure the events would come off flawlessly for Lord Frieza's visit. She asked one of the slaves running around which room was Bulma's and he pointed to a room on the far right.

She knocked on the door and waited patiently.

Bulma smiled and got up to answer the door again. "Seriously, Vegeta, I have more than enough wine and I need to get my hair done! I have like ten min- Oh. It's you."

Asia raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired girl who answered the door who also seemed to be under the impression Vegeta would be on the other side.

"Hello, Asia." Bulma greeted awkwardly. "What can I do for you?"

Asia walked right into Bulma's dressing room. Bulma closed the door and turned to find Asia standing right behind her. She took a step forward, prompting Bulma to take a step back and right up against the door. Not knowing what else to do or what Asia wanted, she just remained calm and silent.

Asia leaned into her and took a deep breath.

 _What the hell?!_ Bulma thought frantically. She wasn't sure what Asia was doing. Was she smelling her or wanting to kiss her? Or strangle her? She didn't know, but she was starting to feel very uneasy at the intimidating Saiyan woman's close proximity.

Asia took a step back and glared at Bulma; she was nearly overwhelmed with the feeling of disappointment that washed over her. So it was true then. She could smell Vegeta all over her. They had been together and she was fine. What did that mean? Amira had told her that Bulma had said that Vegeta had been "considerate". The thought of him being with another woman filled her with rage. That he would choose this miniscule girl over her was absurd to her.

"Asia, is there something you want? I still have to finish my hair. I'd love to chat, if that's why you are here, but I need to get me hair done." Bulma said nervously as she watched the Saiyan woman stare at her as if she were sizing her up in some way. She tried to keep herself calm. She didn't want Vegeta to freak out if it was unnecessary. She had only met Asia that one time in the hallway with Kakarott and even she had to admit, she was ashamed of how she had acted around her. Maybe Asia felt the same way, so why not give her a chance? She just hoped that if Asia did decide to hurt her that Vegeta would pick up on her distressed energy and make it there before anything serious happened.

"You'd love to chat?" Asia repeated, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Sure! Why not?" Bulma replied, walking back to the dressing table where her mirror was and began backcombing her hair so she could put it up.

"And what do you think we could "chat" about?" Asia asked in a snippy tone.

"I don't know. Anything?" Bulma shrugged, concentrating on her hair. "I love your dress. It's beautiful." She said, turning and looking at the tall woman's dress and smiling.

"Thank you." Asia said awkwardly, looking down at her dress. She had gone through great lengths to ensure that she would be the center of attention all week at the banquets. This particular dress was bright red. It was like a solid tube dress; simple. Snug in all the right places, but what made it stand out was the top. It looked like a matching red chiffon scarf that was sewn at the bottom of the bust line, came up across the top of the tube dress and twisted up tight around one shoulder, wrapping delicately around her neck and flowing down to her waist behind her. It was a very feminine, flattering off the shoulder dress. "Amira designed it for me."

"She's quite the talented lady, huh?" Bulma continued, pinning her hair up in sections. She was almost done.

"That she is." Asia admitted. "What are you doing to your hair?"

"Putting it up for my first performance." Bulma replied, a bobby pin in her mouth as she struggled to twist a section just the way she wanted. "Amira made me the first outfit I'm wearing; even made a little hat too!" she said pointing to the dresser where a cute little sailor hat sat.

Asia frowned and looked at the hat. She didn't "get" it's appeal, but shrugged to herself. _Good. Maybe she'll look like a fool and the King or Lord Frieza himself will do everyone a favor and just blast her._ She thought to herself. She was, however intrigued with what Bulma was doing with her hair.

"How do you do that?" Asia asked.

"What? This?" Bulma asked, pointing to her hair.

Asia nodded.

"I'm pinning it up in an old 1940's era style." She said proudly and nearly giggled at the blank look she got in return. "On my planet, there were decades that we referred to as eras. Each era was marked with different hair and clothing and makeup styles. As well as music and political matters too. Anyway, this hair style and my makeup is what we would have called '40's."

"I like it." Asia ground out, as much as she detested having to admit to such a thing to this girl.

"Thank you!" Bulma replied sincerely with a smile.

"Saiyan Women don't do much with their hair. We keep it long and that is its beauty." Asia said.

"Yes, you do have beautiful hair." Bulma noted. She continued to back comb her hair and pin up the rest stylishly, all the while cheerfully explaining to her how to do it. "That's it! I'm done!" Bulma said happily, pinning her hat into her hair so it wouldn't fall off.

"Other than the hat, it looks nice." Asia said, still looking Bulma up and down in a manner that was still making Bulma feel very uncomfortable.

"Thanks! Well, I have to change now." Bulma said awkwardly.

Asia nodded. "I don't know what he possibly sees in you." She said, heading to the door. "But don't be getting your hopes up that he'll actually be interested in you for long. You have nothing to offer him and you're sadly mistaken if you think I'm just going to disappear out of the picture."

"Dually noted." Bulma said with a nod. "Look, I am not sure what to say to you. I know you're angry at all of this but all I know is that my planet was destroyed. I was taken and sold at an auction as a slave. Not long after my arrival there, I met Prince Vegeta and he bought me from there. He is one of the few people who have been kind to me since my home was destroyed and I am grateful for that. I am not trying to step on anyone's feet-"

"Then don't." Asia snapped.

"At the end of the day, I'm just a slave." Bulma finished. "I shouldn't be any threat to you."

"You're right." Asia smirked. "You're no threat to me. Enjoy your time "slaving" for Vegeta, little one. Mark my words; you will be leaving with Lord Frieza. Prince Vegeta is mine. I will not lose him to a weakling like you."

"Don't worry about me. Even if I do end up leaving with Lord Frieza, I will be fine. I'm a survivor." Bulma said with a carefree shrug. "Though my mother had an old saying she used to tell me growing up, now what was it? Oh, right. You cannot lose something you never had in the first place."

Asia snorted in rage at her insinuation. "That's a great adage to keep in mind, my dear. You won't be here long enough. Remember that one when you're serving in Frieza's harem for his army on that ship of his. I hope it gives you much comfort."

"I shall keep that in mind." Bulma nodded bravely. "Now, I must be going. I am so glad you stopped by. Feel free to keep me company tomorrow evening while I get ready. You know Vegeta isn't much of a conversationalist."

"Perhaps." Asia sneered and exited Bulma's dressing room just as angry as she had been when she got there.

She angrily headed back to the banquet room. _What the hell just happened?_ She asked herself. She had gone there with every intention of ripping that girl's throat out and in the end, ended up discussing hair, makeup and fashion mostly. Bulma had even given her tips and everything. The blue haired girl had been nothing but pleasant until Asia tried to remind her of her place in society. Even then, she hadn't reacted at all the way Asia had been hoping she would. She just dismissed it like she hadn't a ccare in the world.

Asia wasn't sure if she hated her or kinda liked her. Under different circumstances, maybe they could be friends? No. She hated her. She was beautiful, nice and seemed to be somewhat intelligent. Not like most of the courtesans around here.

Asia rolled her eyes and headed back to her seat next to Vegeta. _Of course she has to be both gorgeous and a nice girl to boot. It almost makes me feel bad. Almost, but not quite._

_**Meanwhile…** _

Bulma shook her head. _What was that all about?_ She asked herself. She looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted her sailor outfit. It was really similar to a Sailor Moon outfit. It was a white bodysuit with a blue and white sailor-style collar sewn on top and a huge red bow on her chest. The pleated blue skirt was very short, just barely covering her bum and flared out flatteringly. She wore nude fishnet stockings with a seam up the back and white high-heel shoes with a strap over the top of her foot so they wouldn't fall off. All in all she loved the look.

She headed out of her room and plugged in her ipod. She chose for her first song, Candyman. That should be a hit. It was fun, light hearted and slightly racy.

With her recent conversation with Asia still in mind, Bulma programmed her ipod to edit out Christina's voice from the song. She'd how her and everyone! _Singing it all myself. Because I can!_ She thought with a cocky smile.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some foul language in this chapter… I'm not a fan of cursing and vulgarity, but sometimes you just can't get the point across without certain four-letter words… Plus some of the songs I will be alluding to have a few curse words in the lyrics. And a warning for mild sexual content. 
> 
> I DO NOT own and DID NOT write any of the songs referred into this chapter. Just using them for the purpose of this fic. Please don't sue me! I'm not making any money off this and I have nothing- all you'll get is a beat up Lancer, my husband's Marvel Legends action figures and three dogs- a 4 year old Boxer who's afraid of everything, a 6-year old Pitbull we rescued who's always in heat cause we can't afford to spay her right now, and a 2-year-old Boxer, who is a terrorist that likes to eat high heel shoes and steal defrosting pot roasts off my kitchen counter when no one's watching! Usually because I'm sitting here writing smutty fanfiction…
> 
> I decided to have some fun with this chapter.. It's relentlessly cheesy in some parts, but I couldn't help it. I have to! Please don't hate me. Things are gonna be getting serious, so that's one reason for the lightheartedness of the next two chapters and Bulma being, well, Bulma, wouldn't pass up an opportunity to show Asia up, now would she? I know I wouldn't if I were in the same shoes.. Lol! Please enjoy- I had a lot of fun with this!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 11** _

It didn't take long for dinner to be served. Vegeta stayed silent through his meal. He ignored Asia who sat on his left. His father and Lord Frieza tried to include him in their conversation but he ignored them, much to his father's irritation.

 _When is Bulma coming on?_ He wondered. He wasn't looking forward to it, but there was a part of him that was curious to see what she had put together. He knew she'd pull this off flawlessly and that was what worried him. He should not have agreed to participate in this. It would either put her in more danger or it might have the opposite effect and maybe she would be left alone if everyone knew she was his and therefore off limits. He would have to just wait and see.

He tried focusing on her energy signal. It seemed fine. _If you had bonded with her, there would be no question. You could simply ask her._ The thought nagged at him. He dismissed it. Though it would ease his worries considerably and make it so much easier to check in on her, he wasn't ready or capable of dealing with the outrage that would be stirred up over it. What was the point if he couldn't protect her?

The lights dimmed and a short alien came up on stage. He was in charge of organizing the entertainment for any and all banquets that were held.

"Good evening." He greeted nervously. "We warmly welcome Lord Frieza and his army. We put a lot of thought into the entertainment for the week. I hope you do enjoy it. Please welcome, Bulma from Earth. She has been kind enough to share some of the culture from her planet with us this week. We thank our Prince, for finding this rare beauty, bringing her here and sharing her with us to use for the week."

Vegeta growled. _Why did they have to say that?_

"So, I am to understand that your personal concubine is performing?" Lord Frieza asked.

Vegeta nodded. Not knowing what to say. He was not happy.

"How stupendous." Frieza remarked. "This should be highly entertaining. I always love learning of other planets and their forms of entertainment. Music especially."

"Then you shall not be disappointed." Vegeta grated back, trying to act uninterested.

At that moment, a bouncy lively tune started up.

" _ **Tarzan and Jane were swingin on a vine"**_

Bulma sauntered up to the front of the stage in her little sailor suit, looking absolutely stunning. She looked completely different, but still like herself at the same time. The outfit she was wearing was something Vegeta have never seen before and made her long legs look like they went on forever. _At least the rest of her is covered up_ Vegeta grumbled.

"Candyman, Candyman" Bulma sang.

" _ **Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine"**_

"Sweet, sugar, candy man" she whispered and then started to dance to the song that had a very strange beat that no one else had ever heard anything quite like it. A few of the Saiyans looked at each other wondering what the hell it was?

"I met him out for dinner on a Friday night, he really had me working up an appetite. He had tattoos up and down his arms, there's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm, He's a one stop shop, makes the panties drop, he's a sweet-talkin' sugar coated candy man. Sweet-talkin' sugar coated candy man. Oh, yeah!"

It didn't take long and a few people started to get into it. A few of the men shouted out a "Whoo!" to her.

"He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop, he's a sweet-talkin' sugar coated candy man. Well by now I'm getting all bothered and hot. When he kissed my mouth he really hit the spot. He had lips like sugar cane, good things come to boys who wait!"

Vegeta couldn't help but smirk as he watched her. She looked adorable. Right from the little sailor outfit and ridiculous hat, to the sexy yet tasteful way she moved to the song. _Vulgar woman._ He thought to himself. Only she could sing something like that and not come across as a tramp. He took a quick glance at his father who also seemed surprisingly amused by her aloof performance. It was a somewhat infectious song that you couldn't help but smile.

"Sweet sugar, candy man!" She whispered. He's a one stop, getcha hot, makin' all the panties drop. Sweet sugar, candy man! He's a one stop get me hot, makin' my uh pop. Sweet sugar, candy man!"

Bulma continued with the exaggerated swing-type dancing, happy that everyone seemed to like it. Even Vegeta didn't look too upset, though it was hard to tell since he had that usual scowl plastered on his face.

"He's a one top shop with a real big Uhh! He's a sweet talkin' sugar coated candy man." She finished the song with a dramatic, over exaggerated high note that would have made Christina proud, took a quick curtsey and exited the stage quickly to change.

 _If they liked that, they'll love this next one!_ She smirked to herself.

Asia sat there and seethed. _Oh course she can sing and dance like THAT. What else can she do? She's beautiful with a great body, and nice to boot. What the hell?!_ She thought angrily. This wasn't exactly going the way she had planned. She was hoping no one would like her and boo her off the stage. On the other hand, she was very good and looked amazing up there, so getting Frieza to want to take her with him when he left should be easy after tonight. That is what she was going to gamble on.

She pulled her chair closer to Vegeta and leaned in close to him, annoyed but at the same time not surprised that he didn't even acknowledge her.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Bulma carefully took off her hat so as not to damage her hair and quickly changed into a pink rhinestone corset with a powder pink tuu-tuu style short skirt that again, barely covered her ass. She kept with her same nude fishnets and changed her shoes to sparkly platform silver stilettos. She prayed she wouldn't fall. They weren't dancing shoes by any means but went just too perfectly with this outfit so decided to chance it. _If Vegeta wasn't pissed off about the sailor outfit, he might be with this one._ She thought to herself concerned for a second. Maybe she should wear something else? She thought about it for a second. _Nah! This is too perfect for that song! No matter, I'll make it up to him on the next one. He won't be complaining much about anything after that! I hope._

Bulma exited her dressing room after a large sip of wine and headed up onto the stage.

"The dress is Chanel. The shoes YSL. The bag is Dior. Agent Provocateur. My address today, LA by the way, above Sunset strip, the hills are the way." She started her song, trying to look as innocent as possible despite the outfit she was wearing. "My rings are by Webster it makes their heads twirl, they all say, "Darling, what did you do for those pearls?"

"What?!" She exclaimed trying to sound offended, looking innocent, covering her mouth in shock and batting her eyes as dramatically as possible. "I am a good girl!"

Vegeta growled at her. _What part of "Do not be too enticing" did she not understand?_ He thought to himself angrily. He had to admit, she looked absolutely stunning. It did cross his mind to walk right up there and throw her over his shoulder and take her back to his room and finally have his way with her, but from what he could see, every other male in the room was thinking the same thing. Even his father had a lustful look on his face that he didn't like. He couldn't read Lord Frieza's reaction though. It was creeping him out. He hadn't reacted much to her and he had a feeling that Frieza was trying to read him.

"The age I adore, the day oh no more. Breakfast Polo Launch and pools at the shore. The Chateau for cocktails and Courtyard at night. Downtown is for dinner, the Hell is divine! You know I have found the words goin' round they all say my feet never do touch the ground,

"What?! I am a good girl." She sang, over exaggerating her offence at being accused of being otherwise and swayed her hips to the music in such a way the tiny skirt attached to her corset flew up, giving everyone a peek at her bum.

By this time, she had the crowd eating out of her hand and laughing at the insinuation of the song. They loved her! The fact that Asia was sitting so close to Vegeta that she was practically sitting on him didn't escape her notice. She just danced more provocatively, while still keeping it tasteful.

She felt that things were going extremely well until she happened to glance over to where she heard a shout out at her and nearly choked. It was Him. _How could he be here?!_ She thought in panic and quickly caught herself and continued with her performance. Maybe he wouldn't remember her she prayed, however the way he was looking at her, she was almost certain that wasn't the case.

"I am a good girl! Yea!" She finished and once again left the stage to change. This next one was the one she needed Vegeta for. Thankfully. Maybe it would scare everyone off. Including Him.

Bardock had been standing against a wall not too far from the stage. He had gotten there just a few minute before Bulma had started her first song. He shook his head and laughed at her. She was extremely talented. Not only could she sing and dance but she was a great actress to boot. From what he knew of Bulma, she was very sweet. Not at all the tart she was portraying on stage right now. She was fantastic!

He chuckled to himself when he took a glance at the Prince when she appeared for her second number. To anyone else, he probably looked bored and uninterested in the girl on the stage. However, knowing the young Prince as well as he did, he could tell he was fuming on the inside. He could see his clenched jaw and his right eye flinch every so often. Yup, Bulma would be getting an ear full later on. Bardock understood it. He would not be pleased if it were his mate putting on a performance like that. On the other hand, she had won everyone over within a matter of minutes with her innocent and shy gestures contradicting the somewhat vulgar phrases in the songs. Bardock found her quite amusing. She was going to pull this thing off well. He just hoped not too well.

Bulma exited the stage quickly after her second song. Bardock chuckled as he saw her nearly trip when she reached the stairs.

Vegeta glared at her as she left the stage. He wasn't amused; and he hadn't missed her brief slip up either. She had nearly turned white at the sight of Zarbon. Did he shout something inappropriate to her? There was no way she could have met him before. She had never mentioned anything to him about anyone specific when her planet was purged. It was possible, but highly unlikely. Zarbon wasn't usually sent on purging missions. He'd make a point of asking her about it later on when they were in the privacy of his quarters.

"What's wrong, Prince Veegeta? Are you not enjoying tonight's festivities?" Frieza asked.

"They're fine. I just have better things to do." Vegeta replied.

"Well, nothing is holding you here. If you want to leave, please do not force yourself to stay on my account." Frieza said casually, his eyes not leaving Vegeta. "Though, I myself am quite enjoying myself this evening. That little slave of yours is simply spectacular."

"That she is." Vegeta replied casually.

"Where did you say you found her?"

"I never did say." Vegeta replied. "It was some tavern somewhere."

"I see." Frieza nodded. "And you're happy with her?"

"She is more than adequate for my needs, yes." He said, starting to get annoyed. "Excuse me." He said, leaving the head table and heading to the bar.

Frieza watched him closely. Something was different about him. It had been picking at him since he had arrived last night. Was it the girl or something else? He would have to watch the young Prince carefully.

Vegeta grabbed a drink from the bar and drank it back quickly like a shot then walked up to Bardock, who was standing near the stage off to the side.

"Hello, your highness." Bardock greeted. "How is your evening?"

Vegeta glared at him. "What do you think?"

Bardock chuckled. "Do not worry, your highness, I am sure things will be fine. Everyone here seems to love her."

"That is exactly what I am worried about." Vegeta sighed. "Lord Frieza is already questioning me about her."

Bardock nodded. That was something to be concerned about. "Well, maybe start thinking of an escape plan if need be."

"I cannot leave with her. Everyone will be after us."

"Send her away." Bardock suggested, almost instantly regretting it as soon as he saw the look the Prince shot him. "Of course, not on her own. Send Kakarott with her. Or if there is someone else you can trust. Send her with them."

"We'll see." Vegeta nodded. "I will keep you posted. I need to run something by you, but not here."

"Whatever you need, your Highness. I will see to it."

"Thank you, Bardock. You have been a loyal comrade. Where is Kakarott?"

"He was at the buffet the last I saw him." Bardock chuckled.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Of course. Where else?"

"I will tell him you were asking for him, your Highness."

"Very well, I must go. Enjoy the rest of the evening, Bardock." Vegeta replied moving towards the stage.

"You aren't staying to keep an eye on Bulma?" Bardock asked, shocked that Vegeta would even think of leaving.

"The fool woman wants me to assist her on her next song." Vegeta said with an exasperated sigh.

"Assist you how?" Bardock asked.

"I have no idea. I just know that she asked me to find a chair near the front and something about me being allowed to give her a smack on the ass at the end or some nonsense." Vegeta replied. "Believe me, I am so annoyed with her at the moment, I fully intend on keeping my end of that bargain."

Bardock chuckled and looked warily at Vegeta. "Are you sure that is wise, your Highness?"

"No." Vegeta agreed. "The more I think about it the more I regret agreeing to it. I think it will draw too much attention."

"It will. Then why did you agree in the first place?"

Vegeta walked back to Bardock, "She thought it would put to rest the rumors that I have not taken her." He said quietly so no one else who might be listening would be able to hear.

Bardock nodded. "She may be on to something. I have heard a few rumors going around."

"She said no one would doubt it after that. I don't know what else. Except that I get to give her a spanking. She was vague."

"Well, have fun." Bardock laughed. "You are surely to be envied after that."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied and left Bardock, heading out near the stage and grabbing a spare chair. _I cannot believe I am doing this!_ He berated himself as he sat down in a huff and crossed his arms. _The fool woman had better appreciate this!_

No sooner had he sat down, did he hear her say huskily, "Come 'ere, big boy." He looked up, and there she was, wearing the same black dress she wore the night they had met. Her hair was down and in loose curls. She had black gloves up to her elbows, changed into a pair of black fishnet stockings and a pair of black platform stilettos. The music started and she slowly walked up to him. He noticed through the thigh high slit in her dress that her stockings were thigh-high and held up with a garter. _God, this woman will be the end of me._ He thought to himself. His better judgment was telling him to leave now. No good could come of this. The other half was curious to see what his blue haired vixen had come up with; and couldn't move even if he really wanted to. Here she was, walking slowly and suggestively up to him moaning and "Yeah-ing" sensually.

"You've been a bad, bad boy. I'm going to take my time, so enjoy." She sang slowly and sensually, slowly walking closer to him. "There's no need to feel no shame, relax and sip up on champagne. Cause I'm gonna give you a little taste, of the sugar below my waist, you nasty boy."

A few of the soldiers whooped and hollered. She walked up to him and walked around him as he remained seated. "I'll give you some ohh-la-laa." She said huskily into his left ear, leaning on the back of the chair. "Voulez vous couche avec moi?" she asked, leaning into his right ear. "I gotcha breaking into a sweat, got you hot, bothered and wet, you nasty boy." She continued, slapping him lightly on the shoulder after each word.

"Baby, for all it's worth, I swear I'll be the first," she sang, coming back in front of him and placing her hands on either side of his seat. "To blow. Your. Mind. Now if you're ready, come and get me, I'll give you that hot. Sweet. Sexy. Lovin'." She sang and straddled his lap like she said she would.

In a natural reaction, he placed his hands on her hips and roughly pulled her closer to him. This was bad. Very bad. He both loved her and hated her at the same time in that moment. She had promised not to embarrass him, yet here she was tempting him in front of everyone. He would make her pay later on. He could vaguely make out the clapping, whistling, and cheering of the people around them. At least he knew everyone wished they were him at that moment. He smirked at that.

"Hush now, don't say a word," she sang, placing a finger on his lips. "I'm going to give you what you deserve. Now you better give me a little taste, put your icing on my cake, you nasty boy." She husked, shimmying her shoulders sensually.

"Oh, no," she continued, getting off his lap, covering her eyes dramatically with the back of her left hand, "Oh, there, I go again. I need a spanking." She sang, feigning that she was embarrassed with herself at that moment, then walked back to him, straddled his lap and continued, "Cause, I've. Been. Baaad. So let my body do the talking, I'll slip you that hot, sweet, sexy lovin'." She sang, leaning into him.

"Haa!" she cried out. And moaned, rubbing herself up against him provocatively. The crowd went absolutely wild, whooping and hollering and whistling at them. No one had put on quite a performance like that at a banquet. Ever. What everyone loved, the soldiers especially, was that their own crowned Prince was participating. That never happened. The men loved it. The women scowled and smacked their mates for reacting positively to it, all the while secretly taking notes in the back of their minds. All around, everyone was having a good time.

He again put his hands on her hips to steady her balance as she leaned right back and then forward again. "Come on, sugar." She said huskily. She took off one of her long gloves twirled it around and threw it into the audience somewhere. The other one she slipped off. "I got cha breaking into a sweat, got you hot, bothered, and wet, you nasty boy!" She sang, playfully smacking him on the chest with her glove at each word.

"Now that you're ready, come and get me. I'll give you that hot. Sweet. Sexy lovin'." She sang, getting off his lap and circling him again. "Now give me a little spanking." She said, huskily into his right ear and then bending over in front of him.

Vegeta gladly obliged, giving her a smack on her ass with a smirk. Gentle enough not to hurt her or send her through a wall, but hard enough that everyone heard it.

"Is that all you got?" she taunted. "Come on now, don't play with me." He gave her another one, a little bit harder than the last and smirked at the look she gave him. She moaned and bit her bottom lip suggestively. "Gimme that hot. Sweet. Nasty. Boy don't you make me wait! Gimme a little taste, put your icing on my cake, you nasty boy!"

She headed back up and onto the stage all the while moaning suggestively. "Mmmmnn." She moaned, winking at Vegeta and blowing him a kiss, Marilyn Monroe-style before leaving the stage.

Vegeta got up to leave his chair, not sure if he should be pissed off or turned on. Or both. The woman had been right, though. If anyone had doubted that he had been using her, it should have been no doubt after that. Though, the way he was feeling at that moment, maybe it would be a non issue after tonight anyway. _No._ He quickly told himself. The time still wasn't right.

He had a difficult time making his way through the crowd that had gathered. He was patted on the back several times and heard "Lucky bastard!" and a few other remarks as he passed through. He finally found Bardock who was still leaning against the wall and laughing almost hysterically at him.

"It was that bad?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"No! Not at all. I thought it was brilliant!" Bardock laughed. "You should have seen your face though!"

"What was wrong with my face?" he asked.

"A multitude of things from looking like you wanted to drag her off to a cave somewhere to have your way with her to pissed off to wanting to have your way with her."

"That about sums it up." Vegeta agreed, nodding in embarrassment. "At this moment, I'm still not sure if I want to ravage her or strangle her."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, every male here thinks you are a god. I'd say, Bulma was right. No one doubts that you two haven't been together. She's a great actress." Bardock said, patting him on the shoulder. "And Asia is sufficiently pissed by the look of it."

Vegeta looked towards the head table and saw her sitting there pouting angrily. "Good. Let her be angry." It wasn't her he was really worried about. It was his father and Lord Frieza's reaction he wasn't sure about.

Frieza was sitting there with his arms crossed and an amused look on his face looking right at him and his father was nowhere to be seen.

_**In The Meantime…** _

Bulma chuckled to herself as she changed out of her dress. _He's gonna kill me later!_ She thought, laughing to herself. It was so worth it. She had been able to tell that he had enjoyed it, though she could tell he had been extremely uncomfortable. She was actually shocked that he hadn't left, but glad that he had played along. They had been a hit!

She was also satisfied that she had pissed Asia off royally. It had been worth it for that reason alone. She laughed again to herself in memory of the look the other woman had shot her. If looks could kill, Bulma would have dropped dead right there in Vegeta's lap.

At least her work was mostly done for the evening. Her plan was to be a little more reserved for her last two songs. She was getting tired and since she had already caught everyone's attention, there wasn't any need to keep on with the provocative and sultry antics. She was planning on a ballad. Nothing too sappy. She wouldn't want to embarrass Vegeta any more than she probably already had this evening. She had chosen "Beautiful" and "Ain't No Other Man" as her last two songs for the night. She had been saving the sexy, silver flapper-style dress for last for "Ain't No Other Man".

Bulma was looking through her wardrobe, trying to find something to wear when there was a knock on the door. She smiled to herself as she went to answer it, hoping it was Vegeta. It was definitely Vegeta, she thought as she opened the door and saw the man on the other side, just not the Vegeta she had been hoping for.

The King walked into her small dressing room without permission and a scowl on his face.

 _Oh, shit!_ Bulma thought in panic. She hadn't seen the king since the day she had arrived. Vegeta had always told her to avoid him at all costs. What now? _Let's hope Vegeta wasn't lying when he said he would be able to pick up on my energy signal if I happen to be in distress._ She thought, taking a step away from him as she closed the door. She was feeling sufficiently distressed under the huge King's scrutiny.

"Your Highness. What a surprise." She managed to choke out, giving a quick curtsy and looking at the ground. Vegeta's warning to _behave as submissive as possible in his presence_ flashing through her mind. "I hope my performance thus far hasn't disappointed you. I put a lot of thought into it."

"You have been a delight this evening, Woman. You make the empire proud." The Kind said, studying her intently.

"Good! I am glad to be of service." She replied awkwardly, though not quite sure why he was there. Surely it wasn't to give her a pat on the back.

"That was quite the show you put on with my son." He said, still scowling.

"I am sorry, your Highness, I thought it would be amusing-"

"Oh, I found it very amusing. Along with everyone else in the audience." The King chuckled. "That is why I am here."

"Oh?" Bulma questioned, not sure if she was in trouble or not.

"I have a proposition for you." The King said. "Lord Frieza is very interested in you. He likes to collect exotic women from all corners of the galaxy. I don't agree with your relationship with my son, as I am sure he has told you. Step up your performance. Convince me you're worth keeping around, and I will see to it you don't leave here with Lord Frieza."

"Step up my performance?" Bulma asked.

"You know, show some more skin. I am sure you can be a little more vulgar. You are an intelligent girl, or so I have been told. Figure it out." The King said, giving her the feeling he was mentally undressing her with his eyes.

"Your Highness, I would and I have enough material stored that I could do that, but Vegeta specifically told me to not-"

"The last time I checked, Vegeta was not the King of this planet. I am." He said harshly.

"Of course, your highness," Bulma replied, looking down at the floor. "I will find something more provocative if that is what you wish."

"I know you will, my dear." The King said with a satisfied nod. "Do this, and I will make sure you will not be leaving with Lord Frieza."

"Thank you, your Highness." Bulma nodded, still looking at the floor in fear.

The King walked up to her and grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. He analyzed her for a long moment. Bulma did everything she could to not tremble in fear at his scrutiny and close proximity and despite Vegeta's warnings, looked him boldly in the eye. She wasn't going to let him know how afraid of him she really was.

"You are stunningly beautiful." He commented, looking her up and down suggestively. "I can see why he likes you. Though he hasn't taken you yet, has he?"

"That's for me to know and you to speculate on." She replied nonchalantly.

King Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her reply.

"A real lady never kisses and tells." She said shaking her head with an innocent look.

"Hmmn." The King replied, unsure but not quite convinced. She did smell of him, but that could just be because of her performance with him. _They were quite convincing,_ he thought to himself. "Alright. I will let that one go. For now. Get ready. And do not fail, or I will see to it personally that you leave here with Lord Frieza and his crew."

"Right, your Highness. I hope I do not disappoint." Bulma said, cursing internally.

"I do not care what my son says. You are to do as I say, understood, girl?"

"Quite clearly, your Highness." Bulma answered, giving him another curtsey.

"I expect so." The King said and abruptly left her.

Bulma released the breath she had been holding. _Holy shit!_ She thought to herself, trying to calm herself down and not start hyperventilating. _Now what?! Do I do as he asked or go on as planned?_ She panicked. _Where the hell is Vegeta?! He said he would be here if I was distressed! I'm feeling more than distressed at the moment!_

She started rifling through her clothes and trying to think of something last minute that would appease the King. She pulled out a black bra studded with rhine stones. It was both edgy and sexy and enhanced her cleavage quite nicely; as well as a back pair of vinyl ass-less chaps pants she had acquired from the tavern. She had been looking for something like that at the time for this particular song and this girl had given them to her since she didn't fit into them anymore. _This should be perfect._ She thought to herself. If this didn't make him happy, she wasn't sure what would.

 _Where is Vegeta?_ She kept asking herself, almost in tears at this point. She wanted to at least warn him before she stepped out all vampy and over the top. _Is he that angry at me from my last performance? He didn't look angry… What do I do?_ She kept asking herself frantically. _Do I just do this and trust the King or is he setting me up? H_ er instincts told her this was a set up. But what choice did he have? She couldn't defy the King. She had already agreed to do this. To back out now would be out right defiance. She just wished Vegeta were here. He would be able to advise her.

Bulma darkened her eye makeup with black shadow, making it extra dramatic and quickly flat-ironed her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She had to admit, she looked hot. Vegeta would not be happy. _I'll explain to him later and hope he understands. The way I see it is I'll be sent away possibly if I do this and most likely sent away if I don't._ She sighed, throwing on a matching zip-up vinyl vest.

 _Come on girl, you pulled this number off a few times at the tavern with great success. You can do it again tonight._ She thought confidently, taking a deep breath and leaving her room. If Vegeta wasn't going to kill her after her last performance, he most certainly would after these last two.

_**Meanwhile, a few minutes earlier…** _

Vegeta grabbed another drink from the bar and went back to his seat at the bar. He couldn't believe he had allowed that. He wasn't going to deny he didn't love it, but he was certain his father and Lord Frieza would be plotting against them now if they hadn't been already.

He didn't even acknowledge Asia as he sat down. He could almost feel her burning a hole in his head with her glare. He found it quite pathetic that she was still even sitting there.

"What the hell?" Asia whispered angrily.

"What?" he replied in a bored tone.

"What the hell was all that just now?" she fumed.

"Just thought I would contribute to this little scene you insisted on. I need to mingle with my soldiers. You should be able to understand that. It's good for moral and all." He shrugged.

"That was the crassest display I have ever seen! I can't believe you would lower yourself like that!"

"Well, that should answer your question."

"What question was that?" Asia asked with a frown.

"Whether she's a decent lay or not." He replied with a smug smirk.

"You're a pig!"

"You brought it up earlier." He shrugged, taking a sip of his drink and turning away from her.

Asia pursed her lips and fumed. _I'll get that little bitch back, one way or another. She will regret crossing me!_

"That was a most interesting scene you made down there, Vegeta." Lord Frieza purred. "I must say I was thoroughly entertained."

"Glad to hear it." Vegeta replied neutrally. He was wondering where his father had disappeared to. Was he so outraged that he had left for the evening? He couldn't sense him anywhere. He could sense Bulma nearby. She seemed okay. Her energy had been slightly off all evening. He attributed it to her nervousness from having to perform all night. She seemed to be a bit more flustered than she had been all night, but he couldn't sense anyone with her either, and Zarbon was at the bar chatting up two Saiyan women. That was really picking at him. He had to know why she nearly froze at the sight of him. If he had touched her, he would end him. But if he had, why would she have not told him about it?

"She is quite the little minx that one, isn't she?" Frieza pressed, trying to gain a reaction out of him and was getting aggravated that he hadn't gotten one yet. "Is she available for a private audience?"

"She is not." Vegeta snapped.

"Such a shame." Frieza tsked. "You are very lucky, my Prince." _He seems to be quite possessive of her._ Frieza mused, watching Vegeta carefully. _No matter, I shall try again when his father is present._ _Maybe tomorrow evening._

The King sat down back at his seat. "Well done, my son." He said casually. "She has proved to be much more entertaining that I thought she would be."

Vegeta nodded, still focusing on Bulma's energy signal. What was taking her so long this time? Once again the thought nagged at him: _If you had bonded with her, you would know…_

He watched his son carefully. "I found that little display of yours rather amusing."

"That was the intent. To amuse everyone." Vegeta replied dryly.

"What is she planning on next?" The King asked.

"I haven't a clue, father. This is her project."

"Hmmn." The King nodded. He was quite anxious to find out for himself to see whether or not she had taken him seriously. She seemed fearful enough to not defy his orders, but who knew? It shouldn't be long now. He couldn't believe how easy it had been. For a genius, she seemed to be quite gulliable. Either way, he would make sure Frieza took her; unless his son decided to take Frieza up on his offer. Then he would make her stay here. She would make a nice addition to his harem. Then by the time his Son returned from Frieza's service hopefully she wouldn't still be alive.

He frowned as he noticed Asia crowding him again. He didn't have the energy to even argue with her anymore.

The lights went dim, and everyone quieted down again, anxious to see what the blue-haired vixen had up her sleeve next.

"Dirty." The words were heard echoing through the room. "Filthy!"

"You're nasty!" Was heard. "Yeah." Bulma sighed, but was nowhere to be seen.

"Too dirty to clean my act up."

"HA haa!" She laughed.

"If you ain't dirty, you aint here to party!"

The music started and the lights flashed and Bulma was still nowhere to be seen, just heard every now and then. It was yet another odd beat of music no one had ever heard of before. Then everything went dark for a second.

"Oh, I'm over due, give me some room, I'm coming through. Paid my dues, in the mood, me and my girls gonna shake the room." Bulma sang as the lights came on. She strutted out onto the stage to the front and center, looking completely different from her last three songs with her straight hair and dark eye makeup.

"DJ's spinning, show your hands. Let's get dirty, that's my jam. I need that, uh, to get me off. Sweat until my clothes come off." She sang, ripping her vest off and throwing it out into the crowd, which was beyond rowdy by this point.

Vegeta looked at her in disbelief. _What the hell is she doing?!_ He raged silently, shaking his head and taking a deep breath to get his temper under control.

Bulma continued to sing her song and dance suggestively, gyrating her hips and trying to be as provocative as possible. She had polished off that bottle of wine. It was the only way she would be able to pull this off. Thankfully, in hopes of getting the evening finished already, she programmed her last song to come on right after this one. She was afraid of looking in Vegeta's direction, but did anyway. She glanced briefly at him and then away. He was pissed. _Oh, god._ She thought to herself, then narrowed her eyes when she noticed Asia hanging all over him. She suddenly felt a little less guilty for the trashy display she was putting on. After all, he was letting her hang all over him.

She glanced at the king, seeking approval. _This trashy enough for you?_ She thought and felt somewhat relieved as he discreetly nodded at her. Though she didn't know why she should feel relieved. It was his son she would have to face later on.

The song was half way through and she continued to dance and shake her ass as well as she could. Everyone on the floor was loving it and rooting her on.

"Want to get rowdy, gonna get a little unruly, get it fired up in a hurry, want to get dirty!"

 _Is she that determined to want to leave and have a horrible life?! Does she not understand anything I told her?! What the fuck is she doing?!_ Vegeta thought angrily to himself. _I thought I had been specific!_

"It's about time that I came start the party, sweat dripping over my body. Dance and getting just a little naughty, wanna get dirty, it's about time for my arrival! Uhh, What?" She finished with a provocative pose.

Bulma straightened up to catch her breath quickly before her next song started. She gave Vegeta a quick glance and wished she hadn't. He was absolutely livid from the look of it. He slowly shook his head at her and looked away. _Oh well, one more to go._ She told herself, ready. This one was just for Asia.

"I'm not cocky. I just loove myself. Bitch!" She said arrogantly. And the music started.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the flyest bitch of them all? Never mind I am." She started.

_**That bitch is so fucking pretty** _

"Yeah, I am. If I were her, I would kiss me. Mwa!" She nearly laughed when she heard the guys start whooping at her. "Mirror, mirror on the wall. Hit up Prince Charming tell him give me a call. Never mind crew him. Cause I found somebody better."

She quickly looked at Vegeta, who looked completely outraged. "Never mind, screw him. I make myself so much wetter."

She covered her mouth in an over exaggerated gesture. "Every time I see myself, I love me even more. It's me I adore. Ain't nobody got shit on me, I'm the best for sure!

"V is for vanity, every time I look at me, I turn myself on. Yea! I turn myself on, Yeah.. V is for vanity, thank you mom and daddy cause I turn myself on, yea! I turn myself on, Yeah!" she sang in a sultry tone, trying her hardest not to laugh.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, they call me stuck up, but I'm not at all, never mind I am. It's not my fault I'm the shit. Yeah, I am. I'm a bad ass bitch. Hey!" she continued, stealing glances at Asia and loving the angry look on the woman's face.

"V is for vanity, every time I look at me, I turn myself on. Yea! I turn myself on, Yeah.. V is for vanity, thank you mom and daddy cause I turn myself on, yea! I turn myself on. Get into it! No regrets, no apologies."

A bunch of the male soldiers had rushed up to the front and were cheering and whistling along to her, just loving it, and more than a few women too, surprisingly enough. It was time to get the crowd involved, but she wasn't sure if they'd get it or not. Now was the time, to find out.

"All the girls say: Yeah, I'm vain, so what, so what? All the boys say: Yeah, I'm vain, so what, so what? Everybody say: Yeah, we're vain, we're vain. So what and WHAT?" She chanted and was thrilled as almost everyone in the crowd caught on and went along with it, repeating after her.

"If the shoe fits, wear it bitch! Read my lips, I'm a vain bitch, Muah! Heeeeeeey-ey!" She sang, blowing the crowd a kiss and then holding a long dramatic note.

"If you can't love no one else. Love yourself. And if they don't like it, tell 'em to kiss your ass, Bitch! Muah!" She sang with as much attitude as she could muster.

"Let's go out like this: Mirror, mirror on the wall who's the flyest of them all it's me, bow down, get on your knees. Where's my queens?" A bunch of the women cheered. "Who reigns supreme? Lemme hear you scream!" and every one did, much to Bulma's surprise. She couldn't believe the response she'd gotten from this song. Hopefully she wouldn't be in too much trouble. It was all in god fun, right?

She finished, looking at the head table where the King, Lord Frieza and Vegeta were all sitting. The King looking surprisingly amused. Bulma had been a tad concerned about how he would react to this particular song. She hadn't had time to think it through properly to make sure it was appropriate and wasn't quick enough on the ball to change it to something more fitting, so she cut it short in order to remedy it. The creature sitting next to King Vegeta who she assumed was Lord Frieza looked more than amused and Vegeta still looked royally pissed.

"Thank you, I shall see all of you tomorrow evening!" She thanked the crowd quickly and headed off the stage to change. She needed to get out of there. That green guy was still staring at her and making her extremely uncomfortable. She hoped and prayed he didn't follow her to her dressing room. Vegeta looked like he was so pissed off at her, maybe he wouldn't come save her. Not that she could blame him. She hoped he would let her explain and understand why she had decided last minute on a more racy show.

Bulma ran to her dressing room and quickly changed back into her comfy pants and hoodie. She threw everything into a pile and capsulated it all, not paying any attention to order or anything. Sure enough, there was a loud knock on her door that frightened her. She grabbed her stuff and opened the door, feeling a sense of both dread and relief that it was Vegeta.

She felt relief that he had still shown up to get her and escort her back to his quarters. Part of her was worried he might be upset enough to let her fend for herself on her way back. After her performance, this evening, she wouldn't have blamed him. At least she would be safe on the way back. And then there was the dread. Dread because the look on his face told her he was not amused in the least with her. She had never seen him that angry. And it was directed at her. Now she had to face him. What would be worse? Facing him or him escorting her off to his place and then maybe leaving and not staying the night with her? _Get a grip!_ She told herself. _He's here, isn't he? That's a good sign. I think._

"Hey." She said lightly to him.

"Hmmn." He growled and turned to leave.

Bulma followed him back to his quarters, looking at the ground. She had a hard time keeping up with his quick pace. A few people waved at her on their way back, she acknowledged them subtly on the way, so as not to anger Vegeta or slow him down. He hadn't spoken a word to her or so much as even glanced at her.

Vegeta opened up the doors to his quarters and let her in. He was still so angry, he didn't even know where to begin. He had so many thoughts racing through his mind from the evening. There was the fact that she had blatantly cast aside his warning and concerns for her safety. And for what? An ego boost? Or did she like the fact that he had been worrying nonstop about what was going to possibly happen this week and want him to worry more? Then there was the fact that Zarbon had been staring at her intently all night and she had quite obviously recognized him. That disturbed him more than anything.

On top of that he was still turned on from her performance with him earlier and then to top it all off, Asia's comment about her not being able to carry children was bothering him as well. He didn't know why. He had never had any intention of reproducing. Ever. So why did her comment bother him so much. He knew Asia was probably right. But what did it matter? He didn't want that for his future, at least not anytime soon. And for all he knew, Bulma didn't want children either. It had never come up.

He didn't say anything to her or even look at her as he threw his armor on the floor and headed to the bedroom.

"I'm going to take a quick shower." Bulma said to him as she headed into the bathroom. She was all sweaty and needed to get all that makeup off. She winced to herself as he didn't even acknowledge what she had said. Bulma showered quickly and threw on a comfortable pair of pink velour pajama bottoms and matching tank top. By the time she left the bathroom, Vegeta was already in bed, his back to her. She shut off the lights and crawled into bed carefully so as not to disturb him. She was sure he wasn't asleep yet, but she didn't want to annoy him and further.

Bulma lay in bed and didn't move. She knew she should have been exhausted, but she was too upset. The silence in the room was deafening; much worse than if he had decided to yell at her. She decided she would have much preferred that. She lay there for what felt like forever, when in actuality it was more like about ten minutes, waiting for him to say something, anything! Her stomach was in knots and she was starting to feel nauseous.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. Still nothing. She moved over to him, his back still to her, and slid her hand across his waist. She felt his hand stop hers and gently pushed it off of him and back to her.

"Leave me alone." He said.

"I know you're mad at me. And I'm sorry!" she said again to him. She heard him snort in reply. "Look, please say something, Vegeta I can't take this. It's killing me."

"You want me to say something? Alright." He said in a very low, deep voice that honestly scared her. She could tell he was still trying to keep his anger contained. Maybe silence would have been better? "Woman, what in the hell was that tonight? You think I like having you flaunt yourself to everyone? Not only that, but I warned you to keep things more on the proper side so as not to attract too much interest. I feel as though you did the exact opposite. Why? Do you like torturing me? Flaunting yourself around in such a provocative manner knowing that I cannot have you right now and knowing that should the wrong people take an interest in you that I am powerless to stop it." He seethed.

Vegeta turned around and pinned himself over top of her so she couldn't move, looking down at her. Though the room was dark, he could see her clearly through the moonlight light coming in from the window. He could see the tears streaming down the sides of her face. "Why, Woman? What were you thinking? Or do you want to be dragged off by Frieza or one of his men?" he asked her, still angry, but his voice a little softer.

"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."

"I am already mad, Woman. I don't think there's anything you could possibly say to make it worse." He said dryly still looking down at her.

"You're father." She choked out, trying not to cry.

"What about my father?"

"He came in to see me after the song I did with you. He said if I stepped it up and acted more provocative and gave him a reason to see that I was useful or whatever, he would make sure Frieza didn't take me back on his ship."

"My father came to see you?" he stated trying to look her over for any marks or obvious signs that she had been manhandled and felt relief that there appeared to be none. He couldn't even smell the man on her. He thought back on the time line when he didn't know where his father had been after his performance with Bulma and it had been after that that she had done a complete 180 in her performance. The Bastard must have been concealing his energy.

"Where were you?" she asked. "I thought you said that if anyone bothered me, you would be able to pick up on it and you would be there. I can assure you, I was thoroughly distressed. I was so afraid. You've warned me about him. I didn't know what he was going to do. Fortunately, he did nothing. But even after he left, I was upset, wishing that you might be able to pick up on it and come investigate. At least I could have warned you. What else was I to do? I couldn't defy him. The man is intimidating enough."

"I did pick up on your energy signal, but it had been fluctuating like that all night. It didn't seem obviously distressed. I assumed you were just nervous for performing." He said, feeling ashamed. He should have been there. As soon as it seemed like it had been too long since she'd been gone, he should have gone and checked. _You wouldn't be in this position of you were bonded._ There was that nagging voice again in the back of his mind. How many times had it nagged at him that evening? He knew it was right. It had been right all along.

"Not only that, but Asia decided to grace me with her presence as well."

"What? When?" he frowned, forgetting his previous train of thought.

"Like not long after you gave me that bottle of wine. I was still doing my hair for my first song."

He thought back to the evening and the heated discussion he'd had with her. She had left for a bit after that. "What did she want?"

"I don't really know. It was weird. She came in, smelled me and then watched me do my hair. We chatted a bit. And when I was ready she told me that you were hers and that she wouldn't be backing down and to enjoy my time with you because I would be leaving with Frieza. Then she left."

Vegeta sighed heavily and rested his head lightly on her shoulder. He loosened his grip on the sides of her arms. _I should have known to go check on her. I should have been there._ He berated himself.

"And why was she hanging all over you like that all night?" Bulma asked, in a slightly annoyed tone. "She was practically sitting in your lap and you just allowed it."

"I was ignoring her and hoping she would get bored and leave."

"Well, it didn't work!" she snapped at him. "You were upset about me shaking my ass up there? Well, I was upset with you letting her hover all over you all night."

"Well, before she came to see you, I will assume since she came and smelled you. We had a rather heated argument. I, in no uncertain terms, explained to her my lack of interest. She left then came back. I can assure you, I was merely ignoring her."

"Uh huh." Bulma replied, knowing he was being truthful but all the same, it bugged her.

"For future reference, you do not take orders from my father. You are under my direct care. Not his." He said seriously. The gall of that man!

"Well, I tried to tell him that you told me to not over do it and he said something to the effect that the last time he checked, he was king, not you so I had to do what he said." Bulma told him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. I knew you would be angry, but-" she cut off her sentence, not knowing what else to say. "I wasn't deliberately trying to upset you." She said, placing her hand on the side of his face.

"I know." He nodded, still looking down at her. "I should not have jumped to conclusions. And I should have come to check on you."

"It's alright. You've been under a lot of stress."

"That is true, but I promised you I would protect you and tonight I did a miserable job."

"No body's perfect, Vegeta. And I'm fine." She smiled at him.

"Well, it could have gone the other way." he said, still angry at himself. "On another matter that disturbed me this evening, how do you know Zarbon?"

"Zarbon?" she asked curiously. She didn't know anyone named Zarbon.

"The green alien with long teal hair pulled back around his face. You nearly turned white at the sight of him."

"Oh, him." she groaned. She really didn't want to discuss it. Not along with everything else, she felt so drained from today. "You caught that, did you?"

"I did, Woman. Where did you meet him before? Did he touch you?" Vegeta asked agitatedly.

"No, not exactly." She said awkwardly.

"What does that mean? Tell me, Woman I must know."

"He was among the Ice-jin that had destroyed my planet and took my father. It was his decision to take me along too instead of leaving me behind. I think he had been hoping to keep me, if you know what I mean." Bulma said, recounting what had happened.

"Alright. And?" Vegeta pressed.

"Vegeta, why does it matter? I really don't want to talk about it." She sighed. "It was frightening the first time and I really don't feel like reliving it."

"You will tell me." Vegeta said again in a voice that told her that not telling him wasn't an option.

"Alright, fine. After my world was destroyed, I was lead to his quarters and he did try to rape me. I fought him off the best I could but before he managed to do anything someone called him on his scouter and he left. He had been annoyed and insisted that whatever it was could wait but the other person on the end insisted he do whatever it was they wanted right then. I snuck out of his quarters and hid with some of the other female slaves on the ship. The next day we were sent to auction and I haven't seen him since today."

Vegeta took a slow intake of breath. He knew that more than likely, if he had been able to have his way, he wouldn't be lying here with this woman. The thought that Zarbon had even tried to carry out such a thing against her nearly set him in a rage all over again. "You are very lucky, Woman." He said kissing her.

"I know. I have known that since the day you found me." She said, kissing him back.

"I don't think you even know." He replied. "Zarbon is one of the most vile beings I have ever met. I hate him almost as much as I hate Frieza."

"Then I know you'll get him one day." She said confidently. "Give him a black eye for me."

"Is that what he did to you?" he asked with a frown.

"That was the worst of it, yeah. Not including the nightmares afterwards." She nodded. "He had back handed me across the face. If it weren't been for the call on the scouter, that would have been it. I was nearly knocked unconscious."

Vegeta growled. He could not imagine raising a hand against her. Even when he had been so angry with her earlier that he could barely think straight, the thought hadn't crossed his mind.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. I haven't even had a nightmare since I started sleeping with you." She smiled at him, wanting to dismiss the whole thing.

Vegeta smirked down at her. He remembered just then that he had to get her back from earlier. He leaned down and kissed her deeply. He was going to get her good for all the nights she had tortured him and for this evening. Oh yes, he was going to make her pay. Dearly.

She eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down closer to her and kissed him back with everything she had. She moaned as she felt him slide a leg between hers and started grinding himself torturously slow into her center. He managed to untangle both her hands from his neck and pin them up over her head. If he was going to be able to do this, it had to be on his terms. Otherwise, he'd screw it up and take things too far.

He held both her wrists above her head gently with his left hand and smirked into her mouth as she tried to release them with no success. With his right hand, he allowed it to travel down the length of her body and travel back up underneath her top where he gently caressed her breast. She moaned into his mouth and arched her chest into his hand, encouraging him to continue. He let his thumb run across the hardened nipple a few times before sliding his hand down again along her side until he reached her pajama pants.

Vegeta continued to kiss her. He should really stop now. He knew that. But he was really enjoying the panting and moaning and other noises the delicate woman underneath him was making. At this point she was trembling. He figured he had been able to control himself this long, why not torment her a little longer? He slid his hand down the front of her pants and cupped her womanhood. He smirked evilly at her when she gasped. _She hadn't been expecting that._ He thought victoriously.

Bulma looked up at him wide-eyed in confusion. Never had he ever done such a thing to her! Not that she minded, but still. It took her completely off guard. She frowned at him slightly as she tried to free her hands from his tight clasp. He smirked and shook his head at her. "Not a chance, Woman."

He bent down to kiss her again, silencing her objections. "This," he said to her between passionate kisses, "Is for all those nights you teased me."

"Oh, please! You're just as bad!"

He silenced her with another kiss. "Especially tonight."

"But I thought I told you-"

"Not that. Earlier. You sang in front of everyone that you wanted me to come and get you and do nasty things to you and then proceeded to grind yourself into my lap."

Bulma snickered at the memory. She knew she'd gotten to him!

"Do you have any idea," he said kissing her and just leaving his hand between her legs, just grazing her womanhood, not doing anything. Her squirming making it all the more torturous for her as she tried to rub herself against his hand. She failed miserably as she could not move much because of the way he was lying on top of her. "How difficult it was to not take you then and there in front of everyone?" he growled into her ear.

Bulma giggled wickedly.

"You think it's funny, do you?" he asked dangerously, looking down at her with a dead serious look on his face.

A slight weave of fear ran down her spine. She couldn't tell if he was still playing with her or if he was angry again. Maybe she had finally pushed him too far. He had warned her on many occasions that it wasn't a good idea to do such a thing. However, she trusted that he would never hurt her so every once in a while, she'd tease him more than she should. Maybe this was the final straw?

Vegeta smirked at the slight flash of fear in her eyes. _Silly Woman._ He thought to himself, though couldn't help but feel a slight pang of hurt that she was actually afraid of him, even if for a second. He lowered his hand further and sunk a finger into her wet folds. He was very pleased when she cried out.

"Hmmn." He growled playfully at the discovery. "Now look who's hot, bothered and wet?" he whispered seductively into her ear.

He slowly inserted his finger and brought it back out again, slowly pumping in and out of her very carefully so as not to damage her and loving her reaction to him as she squirmed, panted and moaned. He slid his wet finger to her clit and started to rub slowly and gently.

"Oh, Vegeta." She panted.

"Hmmn?" he murmured into her ear, trying ever so carefully to stay away from her neck.

"Don't stop." She moaned. "Please."

Vegeta smirked and kissed her deeply, his tongue assaulting her mouth almost viciously as he began to rub between her legs a little faster and with a little more pressure. He knew she had to be close, her breathing was erratic and she was starting to tremble more. He hoped she was because if it was too much longer, he would rip off her pants and bury himself inside her.

Sure enough, she yelped at her release, he crashed his lips harshly on to hers and kissed her; letting her moan into his mouth as he continued to slowly massage between her legs. He kissed her until she stopped trembling and removed his hand from her pants. He looked down at her as she tried to catch her breath.

She looked back up at him and couldn't help but notice how pleased with himself he looked. "That. That was my first orgasm." She said in wonder, mostly to herself. "Ever."

"Good." He replied still looking smug. He was glad he had been the only one to give her that kind of pleasure. He kissed her chastely on the lips and rolled off her and attempted to pull her into his arms.

"What now?" she asked, unsure of his actions.

"Sleep." He said.

"Sleep? After that?" she asked in shock. "How can I possibly sleep after that?"

"I don't know, Woman. I always manage to somehow." He said with an evil smirk.

She smacked him on the shoulder. "You ass!"

"I told you Woman. Payback." He chuckled. He was very pleased with himself. He had gone much further than he had originally intended with her, but he was glad he had been able to do this for her without losing his self control. Although, it was extremely difficult and he wanted nothing more than to finish what he had just started. _Tomorrow._ He told himself. Tomorrow night after her performance, he would take her out of the palace and someplace special. Then she would be his. All the complications from tonight just confirmed it to him; he could not wait any longer. They needed to bond. He would find a way to keep her safe afterwords.

"That's not fair though! I never _touch_ you." She argued.

"True. But the effect is still the same. You're hot and bothered for more. Nearly every night, I am hot and bothered for much more and I still manage to sleep. You still got the better end of the stick tonight, Woman."

"Well, let me remedy that for you, oh dear Prince." She said suggestively.

"Vulgar Woman." He growled and grabbed her into his arms holding her tightly so she couldn't move.

"Let me go!" she whined.

"Woman. Sleep." He growled at her. "That was just a preview. In a few days, don't worry." He whispered into her ear.

"A few days? Vegeta, are we leaving?" She asked excitedly.

"Sleep." He commanded.

"I can't possibly sleep now! What happens in a few days? Like, what changed?" she asked, so excited. If he meant what she thought he'd meant, that means they'd be like married. She could barely contain herself!

"It doesn't matter. You'll find out soon enough. I will explain everything. But for god's sake, please get some sleep."

Bulma turned around, gave him a quick peck on the cheek and settled into his arms. There was no way she'd be able to fall asleep anytime soon, but she could think about what she should wear and all that stuff.

Vegeta sighed. He knew he shouldn't have said anything to her. He could feel her nearly hyperventilating from joy. He was glad she felt that way. He was happy too. _Good thing I had said a few days and not tomorrow._ He thought to himself. He had lots to do tomorrow and plenty to arrange. He didn't know how much time they had, so he wanted to make it as special as he possibly could for her without, of course, demeaning himself too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used: Candyman- Christina Aguillera, Back to Basics album. But I am a Good Girl- Christina Aguillera, Burlesque sound track. Nasty, naughty boy- Christina Aguillera, Back to Basics album. Dirrty- Christina Aguillera, Stripped album. Vanity- Christina Aguillera, Bionic album. I did not write any of these songs and own no rights and make no money. I just love them and found them to be amusing for the purpose of this story.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed it! There's a lot happening next: Bulma's second night on stage. Zarbon pursues his interest in Bulma at the go ahead of both the King and Lord Frieza. Will Vegeta be able to get to her in time? Will Vegeta still be able to carry out his plans for a romantic evening and finally establish a bond with Bulma?


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains violence, some gore and uncomfortable situations, but nothing too bad- in my opinion. If you're not ok with it, do not read! And please don't sue me for use of songs. Again! Same disclaimer as last chapter. I own nothing and take no credit for the songs or lyrics. Just borrowing them.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 12**_

Bulma awoke the next morning to the pleasant surprise of Vegeta still holding her. It was very rare that he slept in with her. He was usually already up and out and about training or in meetings with his father by now.

It had taken her forever to fall asleep last night. She had been way too excited. Were she and Vegeta finally going to be mated? She knew if that's what he meant that it would be a permanent attachment. She wanted nothing more! But they had held off on consummating their relationship because it would cause so much trouble for Vegeta. There was no way she would be accepted by his father or even the rest of the people. He had insisted they wait until he had gained enough strength to take on anyone who would challenge him and his decision in his choice of mate; his father being the main obstacle. The King would have a fit!

Lord Frieza was another huge problem for them. Vegeta didn't believe the Lizard Lord cared one way or another whom he took as a mate, but he knew that if given a chance, he would exploit it and use her as a weakness to control him.

Bulma was wondering why he had changed his mind? He had told her that they could not be mated until he was absolutely sure he could defend her from any and all threats. Had he finally ascended? She thought not because if he had, she was sure he would have been gloating. It was something he really wanted. He would have told her if he had finally done it. So did that mean he decided to take her advice and leave here for a while and then come back when he was ready? She sure hoped so. She liked the planet Vegeta-sei, but life here was too stressful. Bulma was very independent and used to doing what she wanted, when she wanted. It had been a difficult adjustment for her to go from complete freedom to no freedom then to life with Vegeta in which she was never treated as a slave, but due to their situation she had to always have an escort everywhere she went. She was sure if things were different, he would have no problem letting her come and go as she pleased. She still hadn't seen any of Vegeta-sei since her arrival. From what she could tell from Vegeta's balcony, it was a beautiful planet; lots of mountains and such. But she could never go and explore. She couldn't go by herself and Vegeta never had time.

So, if Vegeta had decided that they were leaving, she would be more than happy with that decision. Maybe then they could have a few months to themselves. There was still so much she didn't know about Vegeta. The man was an enigma to her. On one hand he was cold and angry due to everything he'd seen and been through in his life. He was downright scary when he wanted to be. On the other hand, when it came to her, he could be the most gentle, loving person she had ever met. The contrast between the two was hard to believe. While he was over protective to the point where she at times felt smothered, she understood his worries and overlooked it, knowing it was better that he be that way than if he didn't care at all.

Vegeta pulled her tightly against him, sensing she was awake. He had decided to sleep in a little and stay with her a little longer than usual, but he had to be getting up soon. He had lots to do today if he was going to whisk her away later on tonight. He had a pretty good idea of where he was going to take her.

He had purchased a small home on an obscure island on the planet when he had first been discharged from Frieza's service. He had picked it because of its isolated location. It was nowhere near as luxurious as the palace, but it was somewhere he could go where no one would bother him. Not his father, not the council, not Asia; no one. He hadn't been there in about a year; his father had kept him so busy with missions that he hadn't had the time to go there. He had all but forgotten about it until last night when he was thinking of some place to take Bulma. He could see her loving it there. It was beautiful, peaceful and there was plenty of space for just the two of them to relax without worry of being disturbed. They could hang out on the beach, or walk through the jungle areas; but it was small enough that they could probably walk from one side of the island to the other in the matter of a few hours, but he thought it was the perfect place to take her. He didn't know anything about romancing females, but he was pretty sure that once he arrived there this evening it would make for a decent romantic setting. He hoped so anyway. He had never gone through the trouble of trying to woo a female before. Up until now, he thought it all to be absolute silliness. However, the desire to do something special for Bulma actually appealed to him. He intended on only doing this once, and since he wasn't the romantic-type, she had better appreciate the lengths he was going to be going through for her.

He also wasn't completely certain of all of the courtship rituals of her culture, of what was acceptable and what was not. He remembered she had once told him that the male gives the female a ring and the female's acceptance symbolized that their union would soon be finalized after a ceremony and the signing of paperwork. It all seemed ridiculous to him. There was no paperwork. No ceremonies. In his case, there would be because he was a prince, so there had to be a coronation ceremony to appoint his mate as Princess of Vegeta-sei. But even that would be done after he and his chosen were mated. No one else had to go through those formalities. They simply mated and bonded and announced their union and that was that. His heart sank briefly at the thought that he would never be allowed to have Bulma appointed as a Princess of Vegeta-sei; all because she wasn't Saiyan. It was ridiculous. She was more qualified than any of the females that he knew he could have chosen.

The only drawback he could see was what that damned Asia had brought to his attention last night: She would most likely never be able to provide him with an heir. Not only because such a child would never be accepted, but because she would most likely not be able to handle a full pregnancy to term or the delivery of a half-Saiyan baby. Many Saiyan women didn't make it through child labor and the ones that did went through it with great difficulty. His own mother had nearly died giving birth to him and she hadn't made it delivering his brother. His brother had been premature as well, and she couldn't handle it. She had died and then the next day so had his brother.

The memory of the shock of having lost her came rushing back to him. He had only been ten years old at the time. He didn't think of it much. He had tried to block most of it out. However, since Asia had brought up the subject of Bulma not being able to have a child, it was something he had obsessed about since the comment left her foul mouth. It wasn't that he suddenly had this urge to have a child. He really didn't care less. It was the thought that Bulma might not live through such a thing that bothered him. He didn't want her to go through that. Not to mention that if he lost her he knew he wouldn't survive it. He wouldn't want to anyway. He would be damned if he would turn into a miserable bastard like his father had in his grief over losing his mate.

He hugged her tightly to him again, trying to dismiss the thought. He would have to be very careful was all.

"You okay?" she murmured to him.

"Hmmn." He replied, still deep in thought.

"You only squeeze me with a death grip like that when you are upset." She said knowingly. "What's wrong?"

He remained silent for a few moments, not sure if he should bring it up to her or not. "You. You don't ever want-" he wasn't even sure how to bring it up to her.

Bulma turned around in his arms so she was facing him. She reached up and touched the side of his face and looked at him in concern. It was rare that he didn't know what to say. "What is it?" she asked.

"What is your opinion on children? Babies. Brats?" he asked quickly.

"They're alright I guess. Why?" she asked.

"Is that something you want in life?" he asked carefully.

"I haven't given it much thought to be honest." She laughed. "After I was taken from my planet, I had pretty much given up on aspiring for anything normal in life. Just surviving."

"Well, before that happened and you came here. Is that something you wanted?"

"Wow, I don't know. God, I'm only 18! Ummm. I guess, maybe?" She shrugged. "I never really felt strongly about it one way or another. If I had a choice, I would have wanted to wait. Travel the world, be married for a few years, and accomplish a few things. Move up in my father's company and make a name for myself in that industry. But all that's out the window now. Why?"

"No reason." He replied dismissively.

"No, there's a reason." She said pointedly. "Is that what you want? Because on my planet, that's usually a joint decision, though accidents do happen. If you are trying to ask me if I want to have children with _You_ , then the answer is sure, at some point _maybe_ if things ever become less complicated. Until then, no. Does that answer your question?"

"It does." He said.

"How about you? Do you want children?" she asked, once again realizing how little she actually knew about this man she was in love with.

"Not particularly."

"Alright. I can live with that. I don't need to have kids to be happy if that's what you're trying to ask me." She said seriously. "All I want is to be safe. And if possible, live the rest of my life with you. I don't need kids to be happy. I'd be happy if you got me a permanent spot in Bardock's lab even."

"I will always keep you safe to the best of my ability. And we will be together." He said kissing her chastely. "When I am king, you will have a permanent job in the lab if that is what you wish. I would deny you nothing."

"But?" she asked, having the feeling there was something he was leaving out.

"I would rather you not bear any children." He said with a heavy sigh.

"Is that because I'm not Saiyan?" she asked, trying hard not to take offence. "Because if we did have any children they wouldn't be seen as acceptable heirs to your throne later on?"

"No, Woman. That matters very little to me. Any child you gave to me I would be proud to name as my heir. If they did not accept him, they do not accept me." He said seriously.

"Then what's the issue?"

He sighed deeply, not wanting to voice his fears. "Many Saiyan women die during either the pregnancy or birthing process. I would not lose you for the sake of having a child."

"Oh." She said simply. That changed a lot of things. She was beyond relieved that he didn't tell her that he would take her as his wife but have to hook up with some Saiyan woman to produce an acceptable heir. She understood it but didn't think she would be able to stand by and be okay with it.

"I have never told you this because it is not something I like to talk about, but my mother almost died giving me life and died giving birth to my brother, who didn't make it either." He told her with great difficulty.

Bulma nodded, remembering briefly how Kakarott had told her about that. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to know that though. "I'm sorry." She whispered, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"When I tell you I would do everything I can to keep you safe, I mean from everything and anything." He said trying to keep his emotions in check. "You are delicate and frail by comparison to a Saiyan female. If many of them cannot handle a full pregnancy or delivery, I do not even want to chance that with you. If I lost you-"

"I know." She replied soothingly. "It's okay! I don't want children that badly! I don't! I'm happy with just you."

"Hmmn. Well, you've got me, Woman." He said with a hint of a smirk, pulling her closely against him and breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Likewise. But what will we do when you need to produce an heir?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter. If I cannot produce an heir with you, then I will not. They can figure it out after I am gone." He said.

"That's a big thing." She said with a slight frown.

"We will cross that bridge when we get there. But I would not produce an heir with anyone but you. Understand?" He said with finality.

"Thank you. If there's some way to figure it out, then I'd be more than happy to have a child with you." She said. "I'm sure there's something. There were options on my planet for couples that couldn't have children."

"Hmmn." He sighed. "I don't even know how I feel about it. And I do not want you getting pregnant so at this point it is a nonissue."

"Okay. Does your culture have any sort of form of birth control then? Because unless you do, then maybe we'd better wait on this mating thing." She said with a laugh, though glad he had brought it up. She really didn't want to be having a baby anytime soon; especially since everything was so stressful.

"I will talk to Bardock. There is a shot they give slaves in the harem. They receive it like once every few months or something. It prevents pregnancy. Go and see him later on today and get that taken care of." He replied.

"Will it work? Being that I'm not Saiyan and all?"

"It should. There are various cultures in the harem. It seems to work as far as I know. Ask Bardock. I do not know more than that."

"Okay." She said simply.

"You are alright with that?" he asked seriously, looking into her eyes.

"Yea. It's fine. I'm not ready to be a mom yet. And until we have some stability, it's not a good idea anyway." She said sincerely with a nod.

He kissed her then, feeling a sense of relief. Most women he knew wanted to have children as soon as they mated, and from what he knew, many times the female became pregnant from the mating and bonding process. He would have been more than happy to have Bulma be the mother of his children; they would produce intelligent, strong and attractive offspring together. However, he still would not put her at risk. This was something else he would have to see to today.

"I need to go. I have much to do today." He said, breaking their kiss. There would be plenty of time for that later. He thought to himself. "I will have Kakarott take you to see Bardock this morning. Go and get that shot. See to whatever else you need to today and I will be back to take you to the banquet room later on for dinner."

"Alright." Bulma nodded. She tried to hide a smile. She couldn't believe they were finally going to consummate their relationship!

Vegeta quickly got out of bed and changed into his armor and left his bedroom. He called Kakarott quickly to bring Bulma something to eat, sure enough; the clown was already having his breakfast. He gave him instructions to escort Bulma to Bardock's lab and for him to remain with her for the day to see to whatever she needed to get done and left his quarters to speak with Bardock himself. He had a number of things he needed to run by the older Saiyan and well as some much needed council.

It didn't take him long to reach Bardock's lab and the older Saiyan was already there, hard at work.

"Good morning, my Prince." He greeted, putting a stack of paper he had been going through down beside him.

"Good morning, Bardock." Vegeta replied, taking a seat across from Bardock.

"What's on your mind, young Prince?" Bardock asked with an amused gleam in his eye. He could tell there was something he wanted to discuss with him.

Vegeta sighed and folded his hands together and leaned forward closer to Bardock, speaking in a lowered voice, even though there was only the two of them present. "I need you to do something."

"Just name it, my Prince."

"Kakarott is bringing Bulma down here in a little bit. I need you to administer her that shot they give all the new concubines and courtesans so that she may not become pregnant." He said seriously.

"Alright." Bardock replied with a hint of a smile as he noticed a slight blush on the young Prince's cheeks. "May I ask?"

"Hmmn." Vegeta mumbled, looking away as though embarrassed. "Tonight, after she is done at the banquet. I will formally take her as my mate."

"Tonight?" Bardock exclaimed. "I thought you were waiting?"

"I was, and I know the prudent thing to do would be to wait a little while longer. However, there were a few things that occurred last night that have made waiting no longer an option. I cannot protect her to the best of my ability without a bond."

"What happened, aside from her beguiling you even further last night with that hot little number you two did?" he chuckled.

"This has nothing to do with simply wanting to get into her pants. If it were simply about that, I would not even be considering this. It is far too risky and the consequences too high for just that." He said with a frown, slightly annoyed that Bardock would think he would be that weak so as to take her for that reason alone and without considering his options and the drawbacks. "I was monitoring her last night by tracking her energy signal in hopes that if she were distressed should something happen or someone bother her, I would be able to pick up on it and go see to her. I didn't pick up on anything obvious since her energy had been fluctuating due to her nervousness of having to perform. She had a visit from both Asia and my father and I hadn't been able to pick up on her distress."

Bardock nodded. He could understand where Vegeta was coming from. "She's alright?"

"She's fine, yes. Did you stay after that little scene we caused?"

"No. I left to spend time with my mate." Bardock replied shaking his head.

"You should have stayed." Vegeta huffed. "If you thought the show she put on before was enticing, you should have seen what came next. I was ready to strangle the woman by the time she was done."

"So, why would she do that?"

"That's the thing. My father was nowhere to be seen after I made it back to my seat. I couldn't sense him anywhere and Bulma's energy signal was elevated, but not more than what I had already picked up on that evening prior. It turns out, the bastard went to go see her after she left the stage and threatened her to amp up her wiles on stage or he would see that she would be sent to Frieza's ship. I suspected something was wrong because it took her forever to come back out but did not go check on her because her energy level indicated to me that she was fine. Had I been bonded to her, I would have known to check on her. The same with Asia. She went to have a chat with her. That could have ended very badly and I would have not been able to pick up on it until it was too late."

Bardock nodded, understanding Vegeta's point of view. "I understand, your highness, but you're father is going to have a fit."

"I know. And I do not care. Bulma is the woman I want and the only woman I will mate with. My father will yield. If we bond, he will have no choice." He replied with finality.

"Alright." Bardock nodded. He didn't see the problem with it. Maybe it was time for a change? Even he knew there wasn't anybody better for Vegeta than Bulma. She was everything a Saiyan queen should be. The fact that she wasn't a Saiyan, in Bardock's opinion, was a mute point.

"There is something else I must ask." Vegeta said. "Lord Frieza wishes for me to return to his ship. He will promote me to a general."

"You aren't seriously considering taking Bulma with you."

"Of course not!" Vegeta exclaimed, frowning. "She will be staying here. But I will need to make sure she is somewhere safe. Away from my father and Asia or anyone else that would harm her. Would you take her, Bardock? Have her stay with you and your mate? I can say I gave her to you as a house maid or whatever you wish. That way she would be safe and still able to assist you. It would only be until I finished a few years under Frieza's service again. Or kill him. Whichever happens to come first."

Bardock thought on the Prince's request for a minute. "I would be willing to do that. I am certain Penelope would not take issue with it either. However, do you think it wise to bond with her before you leave? It will only make the separation that much worse."

"Bardock, what choice do I have? I need to be able to keep her safe for the rest of the week. I am sure of my choice. Also, this way we will be still connected with one another. No one will know, suspect or be able to find out. If I try to contact her in any way through a scouter or any other means, we will be found out."

"Alright. I will do it. I would be happy to invite her into our home. I will care for her as if she were our own."

"Thank you, Bardock. I know you will."

"That will also make it so we can build that gravity room of hers quicker. If I leave her at my home, she can work on it all she wants without fear of discovery. If I continue on with it here, it will take me months on my own to complete. I have been reading through the plans. I am not stupid, but I know my limitations. I barely understand the mathematics behind what she has proposed. I can work though it, but it will take me a long time." Bardock said.

"That is fine. Knowing Bulma, she'll be thrilled to help you with it."

Bardock grinned at that, knowing he was right; she would be more than happy to help him with it. It was technically her project. "Alright. It is settled."

"You're sure your mate will not have issue with this?"

"No. She'll be fine with it. She has already heard much about Bulma and has wanted to meet her. This will not be an issue." Bardock said.

"Then it is settled. Tonight I will take her as my mate and before Frieza's departure, I shall hand her over to you." Vegeta nodded.

"Are you sure you want to go back into his service? What does your father think of that?"

"I do not want to go, but it seems I have little choice. He pretty much gave me an ultimatum. I am to either go with Freiza for a few more years or I am to take Asia as my mate now."

Bardock shook his head.

"You see why I cannot wait any longer?" Vegeta asked.

Bardock nodded. Though it certainly was not under the best of circumstances, he agreed that this was the best option. For both Bulma and Vegeta and getting this gravity room completed in a decent amount of time that it would be able to help Vegeta.

"Bulma will be coming here in a little bit. I need you to give her that shot. I cannot risk her getting pregnant right now. It will work?"

"It is effective within a few hours. Yes."

"Good. Now I must go. I have much to see to today. Do not tell her that I am taking her away tonight to mate. She does not know." Vegeta said, getting up to leave.

"Then what do I tell her about this shot?"

"She knows that we are going to finalize our union and why she is getting the shot. What I did not tell her was that we were going to do this tonight." Vegeta said with a smirk.

"Where are you taking her?"

"I bought a property on an isolated island when I was first released from Frieza's service. I haven't been there in a long time. I need to go there and make sure it is appropriate and I need to find a ring for her." Vegeta said.

"I remember your father coming to me repeatedly asking where you would disappear to for days on end. I figured you had found a place somewhere." Bardock said. "What kind of ring are you getting for her?"

"I have no idea. I only remember her telling me once that it was customary for mates on her planet to exchange rings. I thought since there is nothing left of her planet, it would be a decent gesture in keeping with at least one of her cultural customs since she will be following ours."

"That is a nice gesture, my Prince." Bardock nodded. "Do you know where to buy such a thing?"

"I do not. I will not be purchasing it from the gallery here. That would attract far too much attention and gossip spreads much too fast. Do you know of any place?"

"I do. In the capital, there is a small shop. They have very beautiful jewelry there. The shop owner is a very kind older man. He could assist you and he wouldn't spread rumors. I have purchased many fine pieces for my mate from him. Everything he has there is exquisite, good quality and not ridiculously overpriced."

"Price is of no worry to me, Bardock, but I will go there and see what he has to offer." Vegeta nodded.

Bardock wrote down the shop owners name and directions on a piece of paper and handed it to Vegeta. "He should be open soon."

"Thank you, Bardock." Vegeta replied, taking the piece of paper from him. "I thank you for your support as well and your confidentiality throughout the years and especially as of late these past few weeks."

"Do not mention it, my Prince. You are like a third son to me. I always have time for you and if Bulma is to be your chosen mate, I include her as well. She will have my loyalty and allegiance as well."

"Thank you." Vegeta smiled, despite his usual surly demeanor. He couldn't believe he would be mated by this time tomorrow morning to the most amazing woman he had ever met! He turned to leave the lab, not knowing what else to say.

"And congratulations, your Highness." Bardock said with a grin. Vegeta smirked back and left Bardock's lab.

Bardock sighed and shook his head after Vegeta left his lab. He was genuinely happy for the young prince. He hadn't seen Vegeta that happy ever, but it was going to be a long haul for both Vegeta and Bulma to overcome to eventually find happiness. Many obstacles. He hoped they were both absolutely sure they knew what they were doing. Once they were bonded, that would be it. He didn't doubt their feelings to one another; they were both absolutely taken with one another. It would just be a very difficult few years for them.

Bardock knew Vegeta wasn't always easy to be around. He wondered if Bulma had seen the impatient side to him yet? Although, in the time he had been around her, he had noticed she possessed quite the stubborn streak herself. He knew that under different circumstances, they would have been perfect for each other. The only problem was there were so many outside influences working against them. Those outside forces would put their bond to the test. He hoped with everything in him that they would be able to do it.

It was then that his son, Kakarott and Bulma walked into his lab. "Hey, Father!" Kakarott greeted.

"Hello, my son. Bulma." Bardock nodded at them.

"Hello." Bulma said. "Umm. I need to talk to you about something."

"Is it about getting a shot?" Bardock asked, raising his eyebrow. He could tell the young woman was embarrassed.

"Yea. How did you know?"

"Vegeta was already here and spoke to me about it."

"Oh. Okay. I had a few questions though." She said, looking at Kakarott uneasily and then back to Bardock. She wasn't sure if Kakarott was supposed to know about any of this.

"Kakarott, son. Wait outside for a few minutes, please."

Kakarott shrugged and left the room.

"I'm sorry. That was rude. I'm just not sure who is supposed to know what and this is all happening so fast, Bardock-" Bulma started to ramble.

"It's fine, Bulma. Do not concern yourself with that. Vegeta came to me this morning and asked that I give you a shot that will make it so that you will not get pregnant."

"Alright. That's fine. I already agreed to that, but will it work? Like with my genetics since I'm human? How long does it take before it's effective? How long does it last? Umm, oh god, will it make it so that I am unable to have children forever? Like what if Vegeta and I change our minds?"

"Relax, Bulma. It is fine. I will administer it now. It becomes effective within a few hours. It should work fine, we have many different species here on Vegetasei. I have never heard of it not working. You need to have it administered once every three months and should you and Vegeta change your mind it will not harm you." Bardock explained.

"Alright. Let's do this." Bulma nodded.

"You seem unsure."

"No. Not unsure. I don't want to have children right now anyway. I'm just more afraid that it either won't work or do something irreparable to my body." Bulma said with a frown. "Vegeta only told me all of this this morning so I'm just trying to wrap my head around all of this. We are finally going to mate he said. This week."

Bardock nodded. "I know. He told me that this morning. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Bulma said with a smile. "I can't believe it. There isn't anything I want more. I'm just afraid the timing is wrong. He kept telling me we had to wait then last night said we weren't going to wait and this morning that I had to get a shot for birth control purposes. It's all a little fast is all. I don't even know when. He just said in a few days."

Bardock laughed. That sounded like Vegeta. "It will be fine, Bulma. You both will have to trust in each other though. It is going to be very hard these next few years, especially if Vegeta does go with Frieza. You will have to be very patient with him. He is not always easy to live with when he is stressed. If he leaves, he will need you more than ever. I fear he will lose his sanity. However, I have seen the way he has changed since you have come into his life. I know this places a heavy burden on you, but believe me, I do believe that you are the only one that can help him through this. He cares more deeply for you than I think even he knows."

"I know he does." She said with a smile. "I love him too. I would do anything for him. I just feel bad that I will be causing him more stress and grief. His life would have been so much easier if he'd have never found me."

"That is where I disagree." Bardock said shaking his head. "If you were not here for him now, he would leave with Frieza and I hate to think what that would do to him. He is already damaged from seven years with that evil tyrant. If he did not have you to come back to, I think he would completely lose himself. It has been good for him to have someone else to think of and having someone else that cares for him and believes in him. He needs that. Believe me; he would have never gotten that from Asia or any of the other females. Sure he is heavily desired for among the other females on this planet, but none of them are interested in him for who he is. They all want power and position. In you, he has found a companion, a confidante, and a lover. You see him for what and who he really is and not just for what he can do for you with his position."

Bulma nodded. It was true. She would have loved Vegeta no matter what his station in life had been when they first met. She had wished a thousand times over that he had been a third class warrior like Kakarott because things would have been so much simpler for them. "I understand that though. I came from a wealthy, very influential family. I was highly sought after by many men. I wouldn't say they were bad, but had I not been who I was, I bet many of them would have not been interested. Even Yamcha I think stuck around because had he married me, he would have been set for life. I was a meal ticket. I should have kicked him to the curb. Now that I know the difference, I feel stupid for putting up with him. So I understand his hesitancy in trusting anyone.

"Vegeta bought me and technically, I am his slave, yet he has never treated me that way. He has always been nothing but respectful and treats me with honor. He makes me feel that my opinion is worth something and he doesn't have to. He doesn't want me for my money, obviously I have none now. I don't even know why he wants me. Everything that made me important was destroyed with my planet. I could have argued that he only wants me for my mind, but I don't believe that. I believe it was what initially caught his interest since I know he has no use for courtesans and such. I know it was because of my knowledge of how to build capsules that he came back for me. But since then, we have come so far from that."

"Exactly. That is why you two are perfect for one another." Bardock nodded.

"Yea, except that I'm not a Saiyan. So no one will accept me and we can't have kids ever because they won't be accepted and he thinks I'll die." Bulma replied pointedly.

"So that's why he's so adamant about this." Bardock nodded. It made sense. "Well, not that Vegeta would know, but we have come a long way from when his mother passed. That was many years ago."

Bulma nodded. "Yea, he told me that was how she passed and that many Saiyan women don't make it. I'm okay with it. For now. I'm just worried about what about ten years from now? Say we figure everything out and we are in a position to provide a stable life for a child? With the way Vegeta was talking this morning, it seems like this is something he'll never budge on."

"And he most likely never will. However, wait and deal with it another time. He has much to worry about right now as it is where your safety is concerned."

"I know." Bulma nodded. "Well, let's get this over and done with."

"Will do." Bardock nodded. "And do not worry. No permanent damage will be done and I am certain one day you will be able to convince him to change his mind on this. It will not be easy but if anyone could, it would be you. That boy wouldn't deny you anything."

Bulma smirked. "That's what he said. He will deny me this if I change my mind though."

"You don't know that. Time changes everything. If he can be reassured that you will be fine, I have no doubt that he will come around." Bardock said.

"We'll see. You're right. We both have too much going on right now anyway. Him especially." Bulma agreed.

After Bardock gave her the shot, they began working again on the gravity room.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Vegeta left the small island. It was still in good shape. He had paid some locals on another island nearby to keep up with the upkeep. It looked like they had been doing a good job. Feeling confident that this would be perfect for the evening, he left to go and get a ring for Bulma.

He walked into the shop and began looking at all the different types of jewelry on display. All of it was beautiful. He had no idea what to get her. He had half a mind to go get her and bring her here and have her choose whichever one she wanted, however, he felt that would ruin the surprise.

"Good afternoon, sir, how may I help you today?" an older Saiyan asked, walking out from the back shop. "Oh my, I am sorry, your Highness, I did not realize you were here."

"That's quite alright. I prefer my presence here to be not known." Vegeta replied, glancing warily at the old shop keeper.

"That is no problem, your Highness. No one shall know." He said walking speedily up to the door and locking it. "What is it you were looking for today? Anything specific?"

"I am looking for a ring."

"Alright. What kind of a ring? For yourself? Or for a woman?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.

"For a woman. Something special for my personal concubine."

"I see. We have many over here that are very popular and in season this year." He said, indicating for Vegeta to follow him to the very end of the store. There were many rings there under the counter. So many different colored stones. He had no idea which one to choose.

He sighed heavily as he looked at them all when one caught his attention. It was very delicate. It was a ring with a square cut topaz stone in the center the same color as her eyes and had two smaller black onyx stones on either side of it. He liked the contrast of the black and blue. Embedded in the white gold band were tiny diamond chips that stopped until they reached the side. The band was very thin so the diamonds were just little and accentuated the delicateness rather than making it too much. _That one is perfect._ He thought to himself. It was, in his mind, not over the top but should be enough to get his point across.

"I will take that one." He said pointing to it.

"That one is nice." The shop keeper nodded. "These ones over here are much larger if you really want to make an impression."

"That one is perfect." Vegeta repeated.

"Alright." He said taking it and examining it for any flaws. "One for yourself as well?"

Vegeta thought for a moment. Bulma had told him that it was customary for both mates to wear rings. He nodded and pointed to a plain onyx band. The shop keeper took it as well and put both rings in a box. Vegeta looked around the rest of the shop. He chose for himself as well a thin silver chain. There was no way he would be able to wear a ring. It would attract too much attention. This way, he could still wear it underneath his armor and no one would know he had it.

"Will that be all, your Highness?"

"It will. Thank you." Vegeta replied, paying the man. "There's extra there for your silence."

"Of course, your Highness." He replied, handing Vegeta the two rings in a box and the chain on its own in a bag.

Vegeta thanked him and left. He was feeling nervous now. What if she changed her mind after their conversation that morning about him not wanting her to have children ever? What if she didn't like the ring he chose for her? Maybe he should have brought her with him for that? He growled to himself knowing that he was being ridiculous.

_**A Few Hours Later…** _

Vegeta arrived to his suite, finding that Bulma was already for him; her makeup flawlessly done. It was more dramatic than it had been last night. It was in shades of black and gold with the longest eyelashes he had ever seen and her signature bright red lips. She had her hair down poker straight and hanging long past her shoulders. She looked absolutely stunning. It took every ounce of self control to not throw her over his shoulder and take her to his island right then and there.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Hey." He replied looking her over. He could not believe that in the matter of just a few hours this beautiful woman would be his mate.

"Long day?" she questioned, not sure how to read the expression on his face.

"Hmmn. No, not really." He aid shaking his head and reaching for her and pulling her close. "You look presentable." He said assessing her.

"Thanks!" she replied wrapping her arms around his neck. "So, I decided,"

"Hmmn? What did you decide, Woman?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow and pulling her closer.

"Well, I was thinking a lot about what your father said last night to me. So, just to warn you, I will be sexy on stage today but not as out there as I was last night. Okay?" she said, looking at him, hoping he would understand.

He sighed heavily, but understood. It was best they not piss off his father. "Fine. No ass less pants though. And at least keep yourself sufficiently covered to some degree. No bare midriffs!"

She chuckled at him. "Deal."

"I mean it, Woman!" he said looking down severely at her.

"No worries." She replied, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Let's go. We are already late." He said kissing her back and turning to leave.

They headed down the halls and to the banquet room. Vegeta escorted her to her change room. "If you take too long I will come and check on you."

"Sounds good!" she said walking into her dressing room.

"When you are finished, do not keep me waiting." He said, turning to leave.

Bulma smirked to herself and closed the door and started getting dressed.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Vegeta walked into the banquet room. He grabbed a drink from the bar and headed to his seat where his father and Lord Frieza were already talking and having dinner. Unfortunately, Zarbon was sitting with them. It took everything in him to not drag the green general out of the banquet hall by his braid and pummel him to a pulp.

"Nice of you to join us, Boy." His father barked at him, clearly annoyed that he was a little late.

Vegeta ignored him and took his seat.

"Where have you been all day?" his father interrogated him. "Your input would have been welcomed today had you bothered your ass. Tell me what was so important you couldn't grace us with your presence until now? And don't tell me you were training because I know you weren't."

"I had other things that required my attention." Vegeta replied dryly.

"Like what?"

"It does not concern you, father."

"Were you off wasting your time with that foolish girl?" his father pressed.

Vegeta simply glared at him.

"It is quite alright, my King." Lord Frieza cut in. "Let the young Prince have his fun. If he leaves with me, he will not have the time. By the way, have you made your decision yet, Vegeta?"

"I have, Lord Frieza." Vegeta replied, trying to hide all the distaste from his voice.

"And what have you decided on, my Prince?"

"I will depart with you. My father is right; I am not ready to settle down yet. A few more years in your service would do me well." Vegeta said glaring at his father.

"Are you sure, Vegeta? You looked pretty settled last night with that striking girl. I do not blame you though. Who wouldn't be taken by her beauty?" Frieza said to him with a smirk. He was testing him.

"She is merely a concubine. Nothing more. I will be finished with her by the time you are ready to leave, Lord Frieza."

"Nothing more than a concubine?" Zarbon repeated with a laugh. "It certainly didn't look that way to me. Do tell me, Prince Vegeta, what will you be doing with her once you are, as you say, finished with her?"

"I will be releasing her from her obligations." Vegeta simply replied, glaring at Zarbon.

"I see. Well, may I have first dibs on her?" Zarbon asked hopefully.

"I have already promised her to another."

"Oh, really? And who have you supposedly promised her to, Son?" The King asked with an amused tone.

"She will reside with Bardock and his mate and be employed as a house maid and assist in whatever way his mate sees fit." Vegeta replied, trying to remain calm.

"Bardock?" The King exclaimed. "So the old dog does have something for the girl then. He is taking her as a house maid, you say?" he asked, not buying it.

"Such a waste. You would have a beauty such as her hidden like that? You know, you could make a generous chunk of change by simply selling her at an auction. I know I would pay handsomely for her. What is this Bardock paying for her? I will gladly double it."

"The deal had been finalized. I have an agreement and have already accepted payment." Vegeta lied.

"Well, that's no good." Zarbon huffed, crossing his arms childishly. "Where did you happen to find her? You see, I can quite vividly recall acquiring a girl of her exact coloring on a purging mission a month or so ago. I brought her with me on my ship before destroying the useless place. I had so been looking forward to having her amuse me on my way back to Lord Frieza but unfortunately, we had been rudely interrupted. She disappeared from my chambers and was never to be found again. Now correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't that give me some say? I mean, she is alive and well because of me. I am absolutely sure that little blue haired siren is the same girl I picked up. I never quite got over the loss. It has always bothered me. Now imagine my udder surprise to find her here of all places."

"I found her at a tavern and purchased her from the owner. She is mine and I have already decided what will become of her once I depart." Vegeta replied, trying not to lose his cool.

"Well, alright. However, she does owe me. Since you are still her rightful owner, would you be so kind as to grant me an evening with her?"

"Absolutely not." Vegeta said with clenched teeth.

"Oh, come now, Vegeta. I am after all still your superior."

"Not here, you're not." Vegeta countered _. This could not be happening._ He raged internally. "You are on my home planet and you will pay heed to my wishes. I say you will go nowhere near the Woman. You want a piece of ass, then go take any of the women in my father's harem for your choosing. She is still mine and I will not have anyone else touching her."

"Fine, Prince Vegeta. Fine." Zarbon shrugged and looked over at the King and Lord Frieza. "Do you see the disrespect, Lord Frieza? He won't even share a concubine with me for an evening. Such a simple request. Now I will have to deal with his petulancy for another few years since he is leaving with us? Really, Vegeta," he continued, turning back to look at Vegeta. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on most matters in the past, but do this small favor to me and I will put all of that silliness behind us so we may start fresh."

"He has a point, Boy." His father interrupted. "Do it. And stop acting like a spoiled child."

"Father-" Vegeta grated, his blood pressure rising with every second this conversation went on.

"I mean it. You have been much too possessive of this girl since the day she arrived. I find it unbecoming for someone such as you. She is a bed slave. Set her aside for one evening. All of my personal concubines are available to Lord Frieza or any one of his soldiers for their visit. I expect you to follow suit."

"I refuse." Vegeta replied angrily. "Is it not enough that I have to have her paraded around here for everyone to look at and lust after all week? I do not see any of your women having to degrade themselves in such a manner. She has already done her duty. That will be all I will ask of her."

"Son, she is a bed slave. Not your mate." His father said harshly.

Vegeta didn't even know how to respond to that. His father was right. And it didn't matter that within a few hours she would be his mate. At the end of the day, he wasn't allowed to take her as a mate to begin with. He knew the more he argued this, the more danger he would be putting her in. If there was a way to stall this, even just for tonight. He could arrange for her to leave with Kakarott in the morning maybe? No one would realize she was even gone until the evening. By then, they would have a decent head start. He would find a way to meet up with them once they found a place to hide. There was no way he would allow Zarbon anywhere near her.

"It's alright, King Vegeta. If the Prince is not comfortable with sharing his little slave then that is fine. Zarbon, it would be very rude for you to insist on this any further." Frieza said calmly, looking at Vegeta with a sly grin that made his skin crawl. "It is quite obvious you harbor some attachment to her. Far be it for us to cause such an upset."

"I harbor no such attachment to her, Lord Frieza." Vegeta lied.

"Then what is the issue, young Prince?" Frieza asked, knowing he had figured it out.

"As my father said, I tend to be very possessive of my belongings. I simply do not wish to share her with anyone. If I had any such attachment to her, I would insist on her company while I take my leave with you."

"Well, if you so choose to do that, I have no problem with it." Frieza replied.

"I have already made arrangements for her." Vegeta said quickly. He needed to get out of here.

"Well, I for one am very intrigued by this little thing." Frieza smirked. "When she is between performances, I insist you bring her by so that I might meet her."

"I assure you, she is nothing more than a common bed slave. You would be disappointed."

"That may be. However, I am curious. I would love to have a small chat with her as well as acknowledge her talents. I am honored you let her perform for the likes of me and my men during our visit. Especially when it is so obvious you only want to keep her for yourself. I will not force the issue where Zarbon is concerned, she is, after all still in your care. What you do or don't do with her is at your full discretion." Frieza said almost kindly, though Vegeta wasn't buying it.

"You'll bring the girl here or I will drag her out myself." The King said, completely annoyed and disgusted with his son by this point.

"Very well."

"Thank you, Vegeta." Frieza said with a smile.

"Oh good! I am dyeing to speak with her again." Zarbon said with a smile. "Really, we had a moment before I had to leave her. I am sure she thought I must have no manners what so ever."

Vegeta held in the urge to release a heavy sigh. He was quickly developing a headache, which was only going to get worse because Asia took a seat next to him at that point.

"Hello, my Prince." Asia greeted.

"Why hello, my lady." Zarbon replied, standing up as he greeted her. "You are looking lovely as ever, I see. Isn't she, Vegeta?"

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied, not glancing in her direction.

It was then that the music started and Bulma was ready for her first song of the evening. She hadn't really decided much on a theme tonight as she had last night. She'd had too much on her mind today. She just hoped Vegeta wouldn't be angry and her performance would still be enough to keep the King happy.

She stepped out wearing a tight sweater dress that revealed no cleavage. It had a cowl neckline and sleeves that came down to her forearms. The length of the dress came to her mid thigh, revealing her long legs, which were covered in black fishnet stalkings and she wore stiletto black boots that came to her knee. She still looked very sexy and she could honestly argue that she was "sufficiently" covered up. She had left her hair down and straight.

"I see you. And I just wanna dance with you." She said, walking slowly up the stage alluringly.

She was shocked how crowded it was tonight. People, mostly the men, were packed right up to the front wanting to get a good glimpse of her.

"Every time they turn the lights down, just wanna go that extra mile for you. You got my display of affection, feels like no one else in the room but you.

"We can get down like there's no one around we keep on rockin', we keep on rockin'. Cameras are flashing while we're dirty dancing, they keep on watchin', keep watchin' feels like the crowd is sayin'

"Gimme gimme more, gimme more, gimme gimme more, gimme more.." she sang while dancing provocatively, yet still tastefully in her opinion. The crowd was loving it at least. She was glad she had picked something easy to sing for tonight. Though she wasn't sure what he next song would be.

It was then that she glanced over at Vegeta and saw Asia, once again sitting super close to him. She rolled her eyes and looked away. She wasn't going to let Asia get to her. Not tonight. Though, she had a perfect idea for her next song now.

Asia mock pouted, loving the attention from the handsome green general named Zarbon. "You see? He never notices the effort I put in."

"Now, Vegeta, what need do you have for a concubine when you have a woman as beautiful as this by your side?" Zarbon prodded.

"I tried to tell him the same thing, but he simply will not listen. He just ignores me all day and makes a fool of me by keeping her around."

"I heard you two are to be mated." Zarbon said looking at the two. Vegeta not even making a response. He was done. He was only focused on Bulma. She was still dressed a little more provocatively than he would have liked, but at least she was still technically covered. He smirked. _Smart Woman._

"It is true. I cannot wait!" Asia gushed.

"So then why are you two waiting? I wouldn't be able to wait any amount of time; especially for a bride like you." Zarbon flirted, trying to get a rise out of Vegeta since it was obvious he was protective of his women.

Asia giggled. "Why thank you. I don't know. That is something you would have to ask him. He's the one who keeps putting it off."

"Vegeta, why in heavens name would you not mate this lovely girl? Someone else might snatch her up from under your nose." Zarbon prodded.

"If you are looking for permission to snatch her up yourself, consider it granted." Vegeta replied dryly.

"Oh, I would never." Zarbon replied, winking at Asia.

"I agree with Zarbon, Vegeta." Frieza cut in. He had obviously been listening in on their conversation. "Why don't you take this lovely young woman as your mate? She is simply exquisite."

"I already said. I am not ready for such a commitment." Vegeta replied, turning his attentions back at Bulma.

"So you tell Zarbon he can have your intended mate but cannot have your bed slave for an evening. This is most interesting." Frieza mused, looking at Vegeta with amusement.

"I am glad I provide you with amusement, my Lord." Vegeta said with a sour smirk. The evening had become a complete disaster. He would have to get Bulma out of here quickly later on.

Bulma continued on and finished her song. She stepped off the stage quickly and quickly chose another song on her ipod. _This should piss her off!_ Bulma thought with a smirk. She wasn't going to bother changing her clothes. What she was wearing was good enough and she was really comfortable.

She waltzed back quickly on stage dancing to a lively beat. She could not wait to see how this was going to play out. Probably not well, but she didn't care. If Vegeta was still going to allow her to hang off of him all night then she was going to taunt the hell out of the woman and she was going to enjoy taunting her as well!

"I know you like me. I know you do. That's why whenever I come around she's all over you. I know you want it. It's easy to see and in the back of your mind I know you should be on with me babe." She sang, looking in their direction. She so knew she was going to regret this later on, but at the same time didn't care. The opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me? Don't cha? Don't cha? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me? Don't cha?"

Vegeta couldn't hold back the smirk forming.

"What's so funny?" Asia asked him angrily. "The only freak I see around her is her. She's the one with the blue hair."

"Well, I have green hair, what are you implying, my lady?" Zarbon said pretending to be offended. "Plus, I'm not sure, but I think that might have been the point? I find her quite amusing."

Bulma could see from the stage that Asia was definitely pissed off.

"Fight the feeling. Leave it alone. Cause if it ain't love it ain't enough to leave a happy home. Let's keep it friendly. You gotta play fair. See, I don't care, but I know she ain't gonna wanna share."

Asia snorted. "She's god damned right I'm not going to share! Really, Vegeta, I wish you would be rid of her already!"

"Oh, but he will be. He sold her to Bardock." Zarbon replied to her.

"Really?" Asia asked with a raised eyebrow. _Well this was interesting._ She thought to herself with a smirk. Maybe her worries were unfounded then. Maybe he was finally tired of her and they would get together soon.

"Well, you didn't know? He is coming back to serve Frieza for a few more years." Zarbon told her.

"No, I didn't know that." Asia said, glaring at Vegeta. "You never told me that!"

"Why should I? It does not concern you."

"It sure as hell does!"

"I am so sorry, my lady. I did not mean to upset you." Zarbon replied apologetically.

"It's not your fault. He always does this! He cares more about that wench up there than he does me and I'm supposed to be his Queen!" Asia said dejectedly.

"Oh, come now, my dear." Lord Frieza said kindly to her. "I'm sure that's not true, right Vegeta?"

Vegeta glared at Frieza. "Females are good but for one thing and one thing only. I do not care for any of them."

"Then why the issue with lending your bed slave out?" Frieza countered.

"I just don't want her lent out! Why does it matter?"

"Because you're obsessed with her and everyone knows that." Asia spat.

"I am not." Vegeta denied. "Whatever, I'll bring her to you after this song." He said and stomped off.

"Why's he bringing her out here now?" Asia asked.

"Lord Frieza wants to meet her. And I want a private audience with her." Zarbon said.

"And he agreed to that?"

"Only to introducing her to Lord Frieza. He won't let me borrow her for an evening."

"Well that doesn't surprise me." Asia said, rolling her eyes. "I say just take her, break her in the process and then there won't be anything left of her and then all my troubles will be solved."

Bulma finished her song and decided to change her clothes for her next one. She was glad that everyone seemed just as pleased with her tonight as they had been last night.

She rounded the corner to get to her room and saw Vegeta standing at her door with his arms crossed and looking as angry as ever. _What did I do now? It couldn't have been that bad!_ She groaned to herself.

"Hey," she greeted and opening the door and walking in with him. He quickly closed it and shoved her up against the door and crashed his lips to hers urgently. _Okay, Not what I was expecting, but this is good._ She thought to herself in confusion. She had been sure he was going to yell at her for taunting Asia.

Bulma relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back. _What brought this on?_ She wondered.

"Wow. That was a greeting." She said as he let her go.

"You have to come with me. Now." He said.

"What? Now? Why?" she asked. "I have like three more songs to do."

"There isn't time. Lord Frieza wishes to meet you. Zarbon is at the table and wishes to borrow you for the evening." Vegeta said almost frantically.

"Oh, god." She sighed.

"We have to leave now." He said again.

"Wait! Won't it be too obvious if I just disappear now? Why don't we just go together, meet them and let me do my next song and then slip away between songs then?" she said.

"No, I don't want you anywhere near any of them." He said shaking his head violently. "Frieza has already figured out that you are more to me than just a bed slave. I have to get you out of here now."

"Okay. But I still say, let me change for my next song, we go talk to them and then we go. Are they expecting to meet me right this moment?"

"Yes."

"Then that's what we do it'll buy us some time." She said. "Don't worry. You'll be with me. I know you won't let anything happen to me."

"I will do my best. You had better be right, Woman!" he growled.

Bulma went behind the screen and went to change. The song she had chosen was another Britney Spears song called "Lace and Leather". She changed into a flimsy black lacy bra with matching panties. Over top, she wore a see through black lace top with long sleeves that wasn't too revealing, but sexy enough. The lacy deigns went in all sorts of directions and you could still see the small delicate black bra slightly beneath it. She kept her stay up black fishnet stalkings and black leather boots on and slipped into a short short black leather miniskirt that didn't quite cover her bum and showed off the lace tops of her fishnets.

"Well? What do you think?" she asked, turning around.

He sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Whatever. Let's go. Capsulate your stuff."

She did and pocketed them inside her boot.

"Oh, and I told them I sold you to Bardock since I will be leaving with him to go back into his service so just go with it." He said

"I thought you were going to figure something else out?" she asked in disappointment. She had really been hoping they would leave.

"I still don't know yet. I just said that to try and sway their interest. A lot of good that did. I will explain everything to you later on, let's go."

They left the room and she followed him down the hall. She couldn't help but smirk as she noticed that her boots were so tall she literally towered over him.

"I'm taller than you now." She said teasingly, trying to get him to lighten up.

"You're still a weakling." He said back, still frowning.

They approached the head table. Bulma followed Vegeta.

"Lord Frieza, may I introduce to you Bulma, my personal concubine." Vegeta said emotionlessly.

"My dear, it is simply a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet you." Frieza said to her, taking her hand. "I must say, it is rare to see such beauty and talent together. You are a true artist."

"Thank you, Lord Frieza," she said, nearly shivering as he took her hand. He was freezing cold!

"It is a pity that Prince Vegeta seeks to keep you all to himself." Frieza said, shooting Vegeta a smile. "Although, if I had a woman as gorgeous as you, I would be very much inclined to keep you all to myself as well."

"Thank you," Bulma said nervously. What was she supposed to say to him?

"My dear, I had been so very worried! I hadn't known what happened to you." Zarbon said, getting up to stand next to Frieza.

"Were you now?" Bulma said trying to not panic. She felt Vegeta tense up behind her.

"I was simply beside myself. We were so rudely interrupted. My deepest apologies."

"That's quite alright." Bulma said, trying to muster up as much courage as she could. Vegeta was standing right behind her. He wouldn't let anything happen. "As you can see, I am fine now. So, no hard feelings."

"So it would seem. However, I have wondered what our future might have been like. I could use a beautiful and talented woman like you by my side. Especially after a long hard day."

"I am sorry, but my place is here and wherever Prince Vegeta decides." She replied.

"Awe, come on. For old times sake?" he pleaded with her.

"I am sorry, but no." Bulma replied.

"Then how about just a private dance for my good general?" Frieza cut in. He was wanting to see how much Vegeta would put up with. "He did after all save you from the destruction of your planet from what I understand."

"That he did." Bulma nodded. This wasn't looking good. Maybe she should have just listened to Vegeta and let him get her out of here.

"Well? How about it?" Lord Frieza asked, looking at Vegeta, challenging him to say no. "You don't have to worry about anyone touching your cherished little slave Vegeta. You win, Zarbon wins, everyone is happy."

"It is settled." The King said, ending the debate. "You, take her. There is a private room down the hall. Do as you wish and that will be the end of it." He said looking at Vegeta pointedly.

Bulma turned and looked at Vegeta questioningly, fear written all over her face. He sighed and nodded at her.

"Alright. I need my ipod." She said.

"I will get it." Vegeta replied.

"Alright! Let's go!" Zarbon said, leaving the banquet room. This wasn't what he had hoped for, but close enough. It was worth it to see the look of defeat in the Prince's face.

Bulma and Vegeta followed him out of the banquet hall. "Go with him. I will go get your i-thing. I will only be two minutes. If that. I will remain outside while you do that as soon as you are done, we are out of here." he whispered frantically to her. She nodded and followed the handsome green general.

They walked into a room. There were a few tables and chairs.

"Take a seat." She said nervously.

The green general happily obliged.

"So, I will dance for you. I will make it worth your while. The rules are, I can touch you but you can't touch me. Got it?" she said icily, standing by the door waiting for Vegeta.

"Awe, what's the fun in that?" Zarbon asked.

"I mean it!" she said.

"Fine. Whatever. Prude." Zarbon sighed.

Vegeta appeared and handed her her ipod.

"Hey, get lost, you! This is a private affair." Zarbon said to Vegeta.

"As you wish. But if you so much as touch her, I will end your life." Vegeta growled dangerously, not concealing the venom in his voice.

"Ha! I'd like to see you try!" Zarbon smirked.

"Can we just get this over and done with?" Bulma asked. She just wanted out of there. She nodded at Vegeta who left the room, but left the door open just a bit.

Bulma plugged in her ipod and chose a wordless techno tune. _This should do._ She thought to herself. She hoped Vegeta wasn't far just in case this guy couldn't keep his hands to himself.

She leaned forward over a table just a little and began to move her hips slowly, taking in the beat of this song she hadn't heard in a long time. She sensually ran her fingers through her long hair, trying to calm down. _Come on, you can pull this off. And there's nothing to worry about because Vegeta is just outside that door._ She thought confidently. _He won't let anything happen._

She turned around and walked up slowly to him and stopped about five feet away from him. She turned around so her back was to him; she whipped off her top quickly and threw it off to the side. She then turned around and wiggled out of her skirt slowly. As it fell to the floor, she kicked it off to the side near her top.

Bulma turned around, delicately covering her bum with one of her hands, even though she didn't really need to since her bottoms covered her backside. She played with the string on her panties in a teasing motion as if she were going to remove them but then left them be and moved her hands up. She then took a thumb and slid it through her bra strap, her back still facing him. She let the strap fall. She took this opportunity to peek over her shoulder at him. She smiled raised an eyebrow at him, pleased that he was completely focused on her.

To her utter astonishment, Vegeta was at the door, leaning on the frame with his arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face. She felt even more confident now knowing that he was right there. She knew everything would be fine. She made brief eye contact with him before quickly looking away so as to not give away Vegeta's presence.

She let the other strap to her bra fall over and spinned around quickly, covering up her chest with her hands and keeping her bra securely in place, not revealing anything. She then, when her back was to him again, put her straps back in place and looked teasingly over her shoulder again with a sexy grin.

"Awe, come on!" Zarbon sighed, obviously frustrated.

 _Vulgar woman._ Vegeta thought to himself as he watched her. He had a feeling this would end up going sideways so he had decided to watch. Though he wasn't happy that she was doing this, he was glad she wasn't giving anything away. The way she moved was sensual and delicate, not provocative in the least. She certainly had Zarbon's attention. He hadn't noticed that Vegeta had returned to keep an eye on things.

Bulma slowly turned around and started to walk slowly up to him, swaying her hips slowly and sensually. She leaned forward, placing her hands on either side of the chair and leaned into him, swinging her hips this way and that, all the while still aware that Vegeta was right there, watching her intently.

Zarbon touched her sides in an attempt to bring her closer to him but she slyly arched her back away from him, escaping his grasp. It was then that he grabbed her shoulders and tried to get her to sit on his lap. She cleverly and delicately maneuvered herself again out of his grasp and backed away from him.

"Nu-uh." She said, shaking her head at him and walking away. She leaned across on a table and crawled on top of it and then rolled herself over onto her back and began rubbing her legs sensually. It was then that Zarbon had obviously had enough. He got up and walked up to her. He pulled her legs and crushed her to him and began kissing her neck.

Vegeta shook his head and balled his fists. He was planning on beating Zarbon to a pulp when Bulma was finished anyway, but now he was attempting to harm Bulma. He took a deep breath and suddenly felt this surge of power course through him at the sight before him. No one touched _his_ woman.

Bulma tried to push him off and slapped him on the cheek, hoping he would stop, but he didn't he simply pushed her down and she was powerless to fend him off.

Vegeta strode forward quickly and grabbed Zarbon by his ponytail and back of his pants and threw him against the wall.

"Hey! What gives, Vegeta?" he exclaimed.

"You were told that you cannot have her." Vegeta growled dangerously. He felt his ki burning inside of him, needing to be released. He assumed it had something to do with all the pent up anger that had built up within him in the last 24 hours.

Vegeta balled his fists and began pummeling him as hard as he could, his hands crackling and releasing his pent up energy into each blow, inflicting much damage, not allowing the handsome green general a chance to get up.

Bulma sat up on the table shakily and looked across the room. Everything had happened so fast. One minute everything had been fine and she was sure she'd be able to pull this off without incident, then the next minute Zarbon was grabbing her and she found herself pushed down and as quickly as that had happened the next thing she knew he was gone and now Vegeta had Zarbon on the floor and was beating the living daylights out of him.

She covered her mouth with her hand. This was bad. There was blood spewing everywhere. The look on Vegeta's face absolutely frightened her. He wore a look of absolute murderous rage and blood lust. She noticed the more Vegeta punched him the more energy that reminded her of lightning, seemed to surround him. She wasn't sure, but she thought she had seen his hair and eyes change color.

"This is for everything you have inflicted on me and what you attempted to inflict on my mate. I shall repay to you tenfold." Vegeta said calmly, pausing for a moment.

"That's your mate?" Zarbon stuttered, spitting out blood and a few teeth. "Ha! You foolish monkey! Wait till everyone hears that! You reduce yourself to taking your bed slave as a mate!? Do yourself a favor, lend her to me for the evening, I'll take care of her and rid you of the embarrassment and burden."

"You will never touch her." Vegeta growled and let himself power up, releasing the energy he felt at the end of his finger tips that he had been struggling to hold at bay.

Zarbon looked at him and his face fell. "What the hell?" he exclaimed. The Prince's hair had turned bright yellow and his eyes a piercing teal. "Hey! Watch closely, girl! See your Prince's true colors!"

"I told you, Zarbon. I never slacked off on my training. This has been almost too easy!" Vegeta gloated, enjoying the look of fear that the once seemingly unbeatable general wore on his face.

With that, Vegeta sent a giant ki ball through the handsome general's chest and it was over. For good measure, Vegeta sent a few more ki blasts at the dead general, laughing in glee. He had done it. He had destroyed one of his biggest tormentors.

He stood away from the bloody remains and looked at Bulma, who was still sitting on the table with a look of shock on her face. He silently cursed himself. He had gotten carried away. Now he had probably frightened her. He looked down at his hands. They were no longer crackling but were covered in blood. He could only imagine what the rest of him looked like.

Bulma looked at him in wonder. His hair and eyes had gone back to normal. It had been such a quick and brief transformation that she wasn't even sure she had seen it. He looked at her and she couldn't help but tremble slightly in fear. He had just beaten a man to death for attempting to violate her and he had done it with considerable ease. He had even looked like he had enjoyed it. Now he was covered in what she assumed had to be the other man's blood. The general hadn't been able to land a single punch on Vegeta.

"Are you alright?" he managed to ask her. She looked alright, but the look on her face was telling him otherwise.

"Yea. I'm fine. Thank you." She nodded, still looking at him strangely.

"Good. Let's go. We must leave now." Vegeta said urgently.

"What about that mess you just made? Someone will discover him. It looks like a wild animal mauled him. Oh, god." She stammered, looking again and the mess of remains.

"It does not matter. He will not be missed. Let's go, Woman!" Vegeta said extending a hand to her. She hesitated a moment and took his hand, sliding herself off the table.

She grabbed her top and skirt, dressing quickly. She looked at him again and ripped off the bottom half of her shirt, and walked up to him, wiping his face. "You're a complete mess." She murmured, shakily.

"It's fine, Woman. Stop fussing." He said softly, grabbing her trembling hand. "We must leave now. We are out of time." He scooped her up and left the room.

Vegeta flew down the hall and outside the palace with her in his arms. He glanced down at her, noting the troubled expression on her face. Without second thought he headed upwards and put her down on the balcony of his chambers.

"Wait here. I will change before we go." He said, heading inside.

Bulma nodded and followed him. She too felt the overwhelming need to change as well. She decapsulated her things and changed quickly into a pair of black jeans and t-shirt. She threw everything back in a pile and capsulated everything again and took a seat, waiting for Vegeta.

She could not believe what had just happened. She should have listened to Vegeta. He had been right. They should have just left here. Now they were in an even worse situation. They had killed someone. She was thankful that she was safe, but at the same time, still shook up. She couldn't shake the image of Vegeta beating that guy to death. She wasn't sure what bothered her more the fact that he had killed the guy or the fact that he was acting now like nothing had happened. Either way, she felt like this was all her fault and she didn't know what to say to him.

Vegeta came around the corner and looked at her. He had showered quickly and was wearing a black flight suit and non formal armor. He didn't want to waste the time, but he wanted to rid himself of the remnants of Zarbon all over him. No wonder she had been looking at him like he was a monster. One look in the mirror himself had nearly scared him himself. "Are you ready?" He asked.

Bulma nodded and gave him a soft smile, noting his cleaned up appearance.

He leaned down and scooped her up in his arms and off they went.

-0-0-0-

Please review guys! I always appreciate your feedback- good and bad..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used: "Gimme More, Britney Spears- Blackout album; "Don't Cha", Pussycat Dolls- PCD album. I did not write these and have no rights to them. Just borrowed them for my story.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 13** _

_**About a half hour later…** _

The King sat at his chair in the banquet room. He was in a terrible mood. He had to figure out what to do about this girl. His son was in danger of possibly making the biggest mistake of his life if he allowed him to keep her around much longer. She had to go.

On one hand it may be a non issue if his son did leave with Frieza. He would be leaving her here. The King wasn't sure if he had bought his story about selling her to Bardock. He wasn't even sure he was alright with that if it was true. Bardock seemed to have developed a soft spot for her as well. The King knew that his son had a close relationship with Bardock. He had known that for years. It bothered him more than he would like to admit. It wouldn't surprise him if his son had the foresight to send her to Bardock for "safe keeping" while he was away. The Prince was an amazing tactician, much like himself, he thought with pride. Unfortunately, his son wasn't thinking straight where this girl was concerned, and somehow every option he had thought of to get rid of her subtly had backfired on him.

He hadn't thought that Frieza would have made a trip all the way here to request the Prince's return and the King was very suspicious of the motives behind that maneuver. He had thought the Lizard Lord had returned simply to keep an eye on him that he wasn't planning a coup anytime soon. The plan to have the little wench sent off with Frieza had backfired as soon as Frieza announced his desire to have Vegeta return to his ranks with a possible promotion. King Vegeta had hoped that if he threw out the possibility that if he mated Asia that he could stay and then still send the girl with Frieza, thereby ridding his son of the distraction of her. Again, the plan backfired as his son seemed to rather live another few years under Frieza's rule instead of taking Asia and being one step closer to taking the throne. Since that turn of events, the King decided on keeping her here while his son was gone and he hadn't decided what he had wanted to do with her yet? Sell her at auction and make a decent profit off her, especially now after learning her talent was as outstanding as her beauty? Or keep her for himself and break her down as punishment for bewitching his son. He was not a stupid man. He could tell she was no beaten down slave as his son would lead him to believe. His son didn't have the experience to realize that having a woman with spirit such as her was nothing but trouble. His son seemed to find her endearing. The King on the other hand saw it as a challenge. He loved slaves like that. Bed slaves especially. The women that were obviously high society from wherever it was they came from. Used to being treated as queens. The King smirked. He had broken down a few former queens in his time. He had taken great pleasure in watching them wither away into nothing until the day he had finished with them and ended their miserable lives. Yes, this girl might prove to be a challenge. He truly hadn't decided what he would rather do. Either way, she had to go. And if his son had actually made arrangements with Bardock, she would not be allowed to remain until his son returned. She would have to be gone long before he returned. The King would see to that himself at all costs.

A large part of him hoped that Zarbon might finish her off, perhaps right now even. His son hadn't said much, but the King hadn't missed the look of absolute rage in his eyes hidden behind his careful nonchalant façade he had put on. He clearly did not want anyone else touching that girl. The King really didn't understand it. She was a stunning beauty, he could appreciate that but at the end of the day just another woman. Women came and went just like the seasons. He had thought he had instilled that in his son. Apparently not. He had too much of his mother in him. Try as he might to beat it out of him, he just remained the same. He was stubborn. Just like he was, he thought with a smirk. How ironic was that?

The crowd was starting to get restless. Bulma had been gone for a while and they were starting to wonder when she was going to come back to perform another song for them.

The entertainment director nervously stepped up to the head table where the King was sitting. "Um, I am sorry to disturb you, Your Highness." He said, looking at the ground.

"Bulma is preoccupied and will most likely not be returning for the evening. I suggest you make other arrangements." The King said in a bored tone.

"Of course, Your Highness. Right away." The director stammered and rushed off to figure something out fast. The crowd was starting to get rowdy. Everyone knew that a room full of rowdy Saiyans was never a good thing.

"My, they have been gone a while." Frieza smirked.

"I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing." The King replied. He had been thinking the same thing. It had not been a surprise that his son had not returned.

"We shall find out soon enough, my King." Frieza replied. "He sure seems besotted by her. Your instincts in this case have been bang on. You don't think it is something that will pass when he gets bored of her?"

"I am not sure. I was hoping he would be bored of her by now, but his attentions have not wavered. Maybe Zarbon will do us a favor and rid him of her. The sooner she is gone the sooner he will start thinking straight again. Maybe he is right, maybe a few more years under your direct supervision will do him good." The King shrugged, finishing his wine and reaching for the bottle to pour himself another glass.

"What about me?" Asia's high pitched voice cut in petulantly.

"What about you, my dear?" The King asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought we were to be mated this year."

"That had been a hope of mine; however Vegeta seems to have other ideas." The King said shaking his head.

"So you can't just _make_ him take me as his mate?" Asia asked, almost in desperation.

"My dear, you should know by now that no one _makes_ Vegeta do anything." He replied with a smirk. "Feel free to wait until his return. With some luck, maybe a few more years with Lord Frieza will knock some sense into him and teach him what ruling an empire is all about."

Asia frowned and crossed her arms childishly. She didn't want to wait any longer. She was eighteen years old. If she weren't mated by the time she was twenty, then who would want her? Saiyan females were almost always mated by their early twenties so as to start raising families at a young age. She guessed she could wait on Vegeta a few more years. He was the only man she wanted. Her father wouldn't let her mate anyone else anyway, so what choice did she have but to wait on Vegeta? She just wished he'd hurry up. She was getting impatient.

"Well, I wish you would at least make him get rid of that little bitch he's been keeping around. I've had it." Asia said angrily. "I don't get what the big deal is anyway."

"Not to worry. By the time Lord Frieza is ready to leave, it will be sorted one way or another. It ends after this week." The King said.

They all sat at the table for another few minutes in silence. A beautiful courtesan began to dance on stage. She was highly talented and stunningly gorgeous, but the crowd wasn't getting into it. They wanted Bulma.

"It would seem that Vegeta's little slave is a crowd favorite." Lord Frieza chuckled.

"So it would seem." The King nodded.

Frieza beckoned to Dodoria, one of his other soldiers. He almost always followed Zarbon everywhere. The chubby pink, spiky soldier approached their table and bowed in respect. "Lord Frieza. King Vegeta."

"Would you do me a favor, Dodoria and go find Zarbon? He should be just down the hall from here. I want you to find out how much longer he will be preoccupied with Vegeta's little toy and make sure Vegeta isn't giving him any trouble." Frieza told him.

"What? He got to take the girl?" Dodoria asked in shock.

"He was granted a private audience with her, yes. They have been gone for almost a half hour now." Frieza nodded.

"Nice." The pink fat soldier nodded with a gleam in his eye. "If I head down will I get a turn?" he asked hopefully.

"Knock yourself out." The King replied, rolling his eyes. "If my son will allow it."

Dodoria chuckled to himself. Tormenting Vegeta had always been one of his and Zarbon's favorite past times. They had so missed him. He made it just too easy for them. Since it was obvious that Vegeta had a thing for this girl, why not have some fun with him? Dodoria could remember in perfect detail what he and Zarbon had done with the last girl the Prince had taken an interest in. That had been quite a few years ago. They hadn't seen him even look at a female since then. Maybe they could get some sport tonight? Take turns ravaging the girl in front of Vegeta until she begged for her death like they had last time? It would be like killing two birds with one stone. They'd have some fun and torment Vegeta at the same time. Just like the good old days. There wasn't anything Vegeta would be able to do about it. There's no way he would have been able to surpass Zarbon in only two years.

Dodoria rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he left the banquet hall and down in to the smaller office rooms that must have been used for small meetings maybe? He didn't care.

He opened the doors of two rooms and found them empty. He finally reached the last room down at the end of the hall and opened the door and was greeted by the stench of charred remains and a bloodied mess at the end of the room. _What the hell happened here?!_ He thought in panic, walking up to it to see what or who it was. It had looked like someone had been torn apart by a wild animal and then burnt? There was blood everywhere; the floor, walls and even ceiling. He noticed some long strands of dark green hair and knelt down to look at them. It looked to be what was left of Zarbon. No one else had hair that color. Upon further investigation, he found the gold headband lying shattered in pieces.

 _This was definitely Zarbon._ Dodria thought in panic. But who could have done this? Zarbon was known to be the most powerful soldier in Frieza's army, next to Frieza himself! That's why he had been handpicked and appointed by Frieza himself as his right hand man and general.

He took a few steps back, fear rippling down his spine. This wasn't possible. He looked around the room. It was empty. No one was here. He found a shred of black lace on the floor with some blood on it not far from the bloody remains. _What the hell happened? There's no way Vegeta could have done this._ He panicked. It must have _just_ happened mere minutes ago too. The body was still smoking.

Dodoria grabbed the shattered gold headband and spun around and ran as fast as his fat little legs could carry him. Whoever or whatever did that to Zarbon might still be lurking around. He didn't want to end up like that. There was no way Vegeta could have done that was there?

"My Lord!" he cried, running into the banquet room and up to the head table where Frieza and the King were still seated. He tripped clumsily on the ground in his haste and struggled to pick himself back up. "Lord Frieza!"

"What _IS_ it, Dodoria?" Frieza asked him, rolling his eyes in annoyance. He could never understand how Zarbon could stand the fat pink blob. He was so unprofessional. So clumsy; lacking any kind of grace and refine, like Zarbon. Zarbon was the epitome of finesse. Could find a way to fit into any situation. How he put up with Dodoria following him around all day like a lost dog, he would never know. The only person he knew that was more attractive and carried himself with more finesse than Zarbon was Prince Vegeta. Now _that_ was a man.

"My my L-l-lord." He stammered, out of breath at this point.

"Stand up straight." Frieza snapped at him. "Catch your breath and do not address me until you can speak properly you fool!"

"S-sorry, my Lord. It's it's just." He continued to stammer between breaths. He took a second, bending over with his hands on his knees so that he could breathe better. "I'm sorry, My Lord, it's just that-"

"You speak to Me. Not the floor, Dodoria." Frieza snapped at him again. Dodoria nodded and took another few moments to catch his breath. When he had, he stood up straight. "Now that's much better. Please, go on. You barged in here all in a huff. I am _dyeing_ to hear what it is that is so important for you to create such a scene." Frieza mocked, rolling his eyes and rolling his hand out gesturing to the rest of the crowded banquet room that was now all completely focused on the head table.

"S-ssorry my Lord." Dodoria studdered.

"Don't apologize! Spit it out already!" Frieza bellowed at him.

"I went to find Zarbon and the Girl, as you had asked. When I got there, I found the remains of Zarbon." Dodoria said quickly, cringing in hopes he wouldn't be struck.

"What do you mean 'the remains of Zarbon'?" Frieza asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Someone or some _thing_ tore him to pieces in that room at the end of the hall. Go see for yourself." He replied, taking a few steps back in order to place some distance between himself and the Lizard Lord.

"And what of Prince Vegeta and the Girl?" Frieza asked.

"Gone. Not there." He replied. "Here! I found this! I know it's Zarbon!" he cried, tossing the bloodied, broken gold headband on the table to Frieza and the King and running away from the table before Frieza blasted him into another dimension. He had witnessed that far too many times and he wasn't ready to go there just yet. He ran to the bar and ordered a stiff drink.

"Hmm. This is most interesting." Frieza said, looking at the bloodied headband for himself.

The King frowned at the gold object on the table. This wasn't good. "Lord Frieza, we must investigate this."

"Indeed." Frieza replied. He looked at Captain Ginyu and snapped his fingers. The Captain and the other members hurried up to the table. "I will need your help, Captain." He said. "Come. Let's go and investigate this." He said, getting up to leave the banquet room. The King following.

The small group made it to the room on the end of the hall and looked at the scene presented.

"What the hell happened here?" Captain Ginyu said, walking up to the remains.

"Looks like someone got offed." Jeice said.

"Thank you for that, Jeyice." Frieza replied, rolling his eyes, walking up to the scene with his arms crossed behind his back; his tail lashing back and forth in agitation.

"Ginyu. Take one of your men. I want you to head down to the royal wing and see if you can't find Prince Vegeta and his little girlfriend. Bring them both here."

"Right away, Lord Frieza!" Captain Ginyu replied, saluting the Lizard Lord dramatically. "Burter, Come with me."

The tall purple alien nodded and followed his Captain out of the room and down the hall.

"What do ya think happened here?" Recoome asked.

"What is pretty obvious. It's _who_ did this, Recoome. Who?" Jeyice said, leaning to pick up the piece of shredded lace on the ground. "What do you make of this?" he asked Frieza and the King, holding it up.

Both Frieza and the King recognized it as a piece of the top Bulma had been wearing earlier when Vegeta had brought her out to meet. Frieza smirked and looked at the King. This was getting more interesting by the minute.

The King shook his head, looking at the mess. He should have felt pride that his son had done this. He knew that Zarbon had been a very powerful general. However, he was anything but proud at the moment. That his son had done this over a girl that wasn't even his mate; a _mere slave_ at that was unacceptable. "My deepest apologies, my Lord. I will see to it that my son take full responsibility for his actions." He said, nearly shaking with rage.

"No, that is quite alright my King." Frieza replied.

"But, my Lord. Zarbon was your most powerful general. That my son did this all because of a bed slave is not something I will tolerate."

"I do agree, my King. However, I did promise Vegeta a promotion. He just got it in disposing of Zarbon." Frieza shrugged.

"What? You mean to say Vegeta did this? No way, mates!" Jeyice exclaimed, leaning over to look at the mess. _If Vegeta did this, then I had better watch to not get on the little monkey's bad side. He could take all of us out! Zarbon was stronger than even Captain Ginyu!_

"Zarbon more than likely had it coming." Frieza shrugged, seemingly unsympathetic to the demise of his favorite general. "He knew Vegeta didn't want anyone touching his little slave."

"Ha haa! Maybe she was so hot he self combusted. Huh? Ha haa!" Recoome said stupidly, laughing at his own dumb joke. "Get it?" he nudged Jeyice when no one laughed.

"I get it, mate. And it's _spontaneous_ combustion."

"Oh, right. Ha haa!" the large man said, still laughing as though he had told the funniest joke ever.

"What do we do then, Lord Frieza?" Jeyice asked.

"Let me handle this." Frieza said, looking at the King with a calculating smile and leaving the room.

It was then that Captain Ginyu and Burter returned.

"Where's my Son and the Girl?" The King asked, noticing that they had returned alone.

"Dunno. They weren't there." Captain Ginyu said shrugging.

"Did you check the room or just knock and leave?" The King growled.

"No, we went in. There wasn't anything but bloodied up armor in the bathroom. No sign of them." Ginyu said.

"Where do you think they could have gone, your Highness?" Frieza asked the King, looking highly amused at the situation.

"I haven't a clue." The King shook his head trying to keep his anger in check.

"Well, why don't you and your team go out and look for our dear Prince Vegeta and his little toy. The King and I will wait here in case they should return." Frieza said, heading back to the banquet room.

The King followed him, not knowing what to do. He wanted to go out and look for his son and give him the beating of his life and then strangle the blue haired girl right in front of him. He could not believe this. The complete lack of respect! And for what? A concubine? It was absolutely disgraceful! What had this girl done to his son?

The King followed Frieza back in the banquet room, where more than half the soldiers were waiting anxiously to hear what had happened.

"I want everyone out searching. Find Prince Vegeta and the Girl. Bring then both back here." The King bellowed and sat back down.

Kakarott and Raditz walked up to the head table. "What happened, your Highness?" Kakarott asked.

"I'm not entirely sure but it looks like Vegeta annihilated Zarbon." The King said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He left with that Blue haired wench. They are nowhere to be found. Do you know where he would have taken her?"

"No." Kakarott shook his head. _Why would Vegeta do that? Huh, Good for him!_ The younger Saiyan thought to himself. "I will go out and look for him though."

"See that you do!" The King replied. "You're his First Lieutenant! You should know where he is at all times!"

"You're right, your Highness. Sorry." Kakarott said, bowing to the King. "I will see what I can find out."

Kakarott and Raditz walked out of the banquet room and headed to Bardock's lab. Maybe he knew what was going on.

"Well, isn't this a surprise. My two sons have come to visit. I am almost through here and then I will stop by at the banquet briefly." Bardock greeted them, not taking his eyes off the schematics he was looking at.

"Father, do you know where Vegeta and Bulma might have gone?" Kakarott asked. He didn't have a clue where they were, but he knew something had been up this morning.

"I do not. Why? What has happened?" Bardock asked, frowning and setting his paperwork aside.

"We don't know. But Zarbon was found beaten to death in a room down the hall from the banquet room and both Bulma and Vegeta are nowhere to be found. The King and probably Lord Frieza think Vegeta did it." Raditz explained.

"I did see Bulma leaving the banquet hall with Zarbon a while before this commotion started." Kakarott said with a frown, recalling the evening's events. "Vegeta brought her out and they were talking with Lord Frieza and then she left with Zarbon. Vegeta followed. He looked really upset. And neither one of them has been seen again."

"Did you not go talk to Vegeta?" Bardock asked.

"No. I was eating this great new dish that I never had before. I was going to ask Vegeta when he came back, but he never did." Kakarott replied with a shrug.

"Father, I know you know the Prince better than most. Do you know where he has gone?" Raditz asked.

Bardock shook his head. He knew Vegeta's plans were to take Bulma away from the palace to officially make her his mate. However, he didn't know where. All the Prince had said was an "isolated island". That could be anywhere. The planet was full of small isolated islands. "I do not." He replied, not divulging any information not even to his sons. The less they knew, the better.

"Well, we need to find him and warn him. He might be in a lot of trouble." Kakarott said. "I hope Bulma is ok. Zarbon must have tried to hurt her."

"If I know Zarbon, he probably tried to do more than just hurt her." Raditz commented. "I'm sure he deserved every bit of whatever Vegeta did to him. Small loss."

Bardock nodded. He could only imagine. "And no one knows exactly what happened or why, only that Zarbon is dead and both Vegeta and Bulma are gone."

"That's right. The King yelled at everyone to search for them both and bring them back here. Frieza sent the whole Ginyu Force out as well to go find them." Kakarott said.

"This is a mess." Bardock said. "Has anyone tried to contact him through his scouter?"

"I don't know." Kakarott shrugged.

"Alright. I will go and see what I can find out from the King. Raditz go and see if you can find them. Kakarott, you have access to Prince Vegeta's ship?" Bardock asked.

"Yea. I have an access key. Why?"

"Ready it for departure. Just in case." Bardock said, getting ready to leave the lab.

"But they can't just leave." Raditz said looking at his father as if he were insane. "Look, I know the Prince is hot and heavy over this girl. I don't blame him, she's hot. I totally get it. But he wouldn't throw everything away and leave with her."

Kakarott smirked. He hadn't had much time to talk with the Prince over the past few days, but he knew that whatever feelings he did harbor for Bulma ran deep. He knew something was up this morning. He had wanted to ask Bulma but figured he would find out all on his own. He suspected Vegeta might be taking her as a mate soon. He wasn't that dumb. He knew it had been Vegeta that had marked her on her lip last week and that she hadn't fallen and bit it as she had said. And why else would she have been in a hurry to get a contraceptive shot this morning?

"He would?" Raditz asked dumbfounded, looking at his brother. "Shit. I mean I get it, she's his property and no one should touch what isn't theirs without permission. He was protecting what was his. No one's going to blame him. Hell, half the soldiers out there have been victim to Zarbon and his antics. He treats us all like we're filth under his boot. Everyone knows Vegeta took the brunt of it back in the day; the beatings and humiliations. No one will be sorry he did it whatever the reason. It was long overdue. But to leave with the girl? That's a bad plan."

"The King is already suspicious that he is developing affections for her." Kakarott said. "If he did this because Zarbon overstepped, the King will do away with her. You don't know her, Raditz. She's a good girl and she's smart. She doesn't deserve that. I'll help get things ready for him if it comes to that. It'll complicate everything, but I understand. I'm in."

"Alright." Raditz said, shaking his head. "Let me find Nappa. We'll try to find him before Ginyu and his thugs do. Warn him and the Girl."

Bardock nodded. He wanted to see what had happened, talk to the King. Maybe find out where his head was at. He could not believe how wrong things had gone so fast. He wished he knew where to find them. He would go down there himself and warn them. He almost hoped they decided to lay low for a few days.

The three went their separate ways. Bardock headed down the halls and made his way to the office room at the end of the hall near the banquet room. He walked in and looked at the mess and shook his head. It was a mess indeed; even by Saiyan standards. Vegeta had butchered him up good. He could only imagine what must have happened for Vegeta to have lost it like that. He hoped Bulma was alright.

He was turning to walk out when he noticed Bulma's ipod on one of the tables off to the side. He took it and put it in his pocket and went to see the King in the banquet room.

"Your Highness." He greeted.

"Bardock." The King replied.

"What has happened? I have heard a few rumors."

"Do you know where my son and that blue-haired trollop of his would happen to be?" the King asked.

"I do not." Bardock said, shaking his head and grabbing a glass of wine for himself.

"This is serious Bardock. If you know anything, it would be to your great detriment to withhold any useful information pertaining to those two." The King said. "That boy will be the death of me."

"I am sure he'll turn up. What happened, anyway?" Bardock asked, wanting to get as much information as he could.

The King refilled both their glasses and retold the story. At which Bardock shook his head. He didn't blame Vegeta. He was only looking after what was his; just as he had originally expected. However, this was very bad. He would have to help him get Bulma off of Vegeta-sei until this whole thing blew over. The King was completely convinced this was all her fault.

"I am to understand that My son has sold her to you?" the King asked, looking suspiciously at Bardock.

"He did, my King. My mate would appreciate the help around the house." Bardock replied, not missing a beat.

"I see. See to it that you keep your eye on her and that my son has absolutely no contact with her whatsoever while he is gone. I expect you to dispose of her before his return. I do not care if you sell her or take her out back and blast her. If you cannot follow through on this, I will see to it myself." The King said looking intently at the older Saiyan.

"Why not rid of him of her now?" Lord Frieza said. The Lizard Lord had been silent since they had returned to the banquet room. He had been weighing out different scenarios in his head.

"What did you have in mind, my Lord?" The King asked.

"It's clear the young Prince has something for her. I am not overly upset about Zarbon's demise. If he could not defend himself from Vegeta, then I do not want him at my right hand. I had begun grooming Vegeta for that position years ago. It was only a matter of time before this happened. However, this girl has seemed to have impaired his judgment and I cannot have that." Frieza said, then took a long sip from his wine. "I will do away with the girl; take her out of the equation. Teach him that having such petty attachments are nothing more than a waste of time. I need him focused on his job. Not pining away over some girl."

"How are you going to do that?" the King asked.

"Leave that to me. It will be done once they return." Frieza said calmly. "And they Young Prince will see the error in his ways."

"You have my permission to do as you wish, my Lord." The King replied.

Bardock's heart sank. He had to do something. He was thankful he had had the foresight to get his son to prepare Vegeta's ship just in case. He had a bad feeling something like this would happen.

"I do apologize if this puts a kink in your plans, Bardock." Frieza said looking pointedly at him.

"Not at all. I will acquire a different slave to assist my mate." Bardock said nonchalantly, deciding to not take leave until he had finished his wine. He did not want to raise any more suspicion. He could tell the King knew he knew something of Vegeta's whereabouts. Fortunately for him, he could honestly say he had no idea where he was because he really didn't know.

Bardock finished his wine and decided to take his leave.

"If you hear about or happen to run into either of them, you will notify me, Bardock." The King said, watching the older Saiyan get up to leave.

"Of course, your Highness." Bardock nodded and left.

"Can he be trusted?" Frieza asked the King, watching Bardock leave.

"I do not know. I know my Son holds him in high regard; something as a confidante of some sort. I do believe him when he says he does not know where they are, however I do know he knows more than he has let on. If I know Bardock, he will lay low and not want anything to do with any of this. Bardock usually remains neutral in most issues."

"Interesting. Let's hope you are right." Frieza said. "Well, I am going to retire for the evening. Send someone for me should the Prince and his whore be located. Otherwise, we will meet early tomorrow morning in your throne room and await his return."

"I will do that, my Lord. Again I apologize for this outrage." The King said.

"No need to apologize, my dear King. I quite like surprises." Frieza cackled. "It will all be set straight. You'll see."

Lord Frieza made his way out of the banquet room and down the halls of the palace and back to his personal quarters on his ship. This had most certainly been an interesting turn of events this evening.

The Prince was obviously much more attached to this girl than he had let on. He had known that Vegeta hadn't been truthful with regards to her. That Vegeta thought he was free to give his affections out to anyone was laughable.

Frieza would take great joy in ending the blue-haired girl's life right in front of him. Maybe then Vegeta would understand that he belonged to him and only him.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Bardock headed back to his lab and found Kakarott there waiting.

"Did you do it?" he asked his son.

"Yea. There wasn't much to do, but I was able to smuggle some food supplies thanks to Bulma's capsules. Everyone is focused on everything that's going on; no one even gave me a second look. Who knows, maybe they thought I was searching the ship for them." Kakarott shrugged.

"Good. They're going to need that ship. You go with them. Things are going to get real bad. Frieza and the King have plotted to kill Bulma as soon as they get back." Bardock explained. "We need to find them before anyone else does and at the very least, get her on that ship. Vegeta can always find a way to meet up with you guys later on."

"Why would they plot that? Honestly, no one is even looking very hard for him. As far as they're concerned, Zarbon touched what wasn't his and paid the consequence. The Prince is a hero. Everyone hated Zarbon and Bulma managed to gain everyone on her side last night. They absolutely adore her. I even overheard one of the guys say that if he had seen Zarbon trying to harm the Prince's concubine, they'd have gone after him too."

"That's all fine and good, but the King and Frieza have decided. It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks." Bardock said. "We have to find them. Did you try Vegeta on his scouter?"

"Yea. I tried. He either shut it off or doesn't have it with him. He obviously doesn't want to be found."

Bardock sighed, not knowing if he should tell his son or not. The less he knew, the better, but under the circumstances, he wasn't sure what else to do. Maybe Kakarott was the only other person aside from Vegeta who knew where to look for this island. "Look, what I am about to say must stay between us. Vegeta told me this morning he was planning on officially taking Bulma as his mate tonight. He mentioned that he had purchased an isolated island when he was first discharged from Frieza's service. That's where he was taking her. That's probably where they are. Do you have any idea where that would be?"

Kakarott frowned and scratched his head. "No. I didn't even know he bought an island. Good for him! He and Bulma should be happy there!"

"Focus!" Bardock snapped at him. "Now's not the time to throw a party. This is serious. We need to find them and get Bulma on that ship. I will go search, you maybe wait in the Prince's quarters. He will most likely take her there first before dealing with his father and Lord Frieza. I have my scouter. Contact me the moment you hear of anything."

"I will. You too!" Kakarott said, leaving the lab and heading down to Vegeta's personal quarters. Despite everything, he was really happy that his Prince had finally admitted his feelings for Bulma. She was great for him. If they could escape this mess, he had no doubt they would be fine.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content. For those of you that aren't comfortable with that kinda thing or are too young to be reading about things like this, I did include a disclaimer before things get hot and heavy So you have the option of reading or not. Please enjoy, I put a lot of effort into this chapter…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 14** _

_**Previously…** _

"I told you, Zarbon. I never slacked off on my training. This has been almost too easy!" Vegeta gloated, enjoying the look of fear that the once seemingly unbeatable general wore on his face.

With that, Vegeta sent a giant ki ball through the handsome general's chest and it was over. For good measure, Vegeta sent a few more ki blasts at the dead general, laughing in glee. He had done it. He had destroyed one of his biggest tormentors.

He stood away from the bloody remains and looked at Bulma, who was still sitting on the table with a look of shock on her face. He silently cursed himself. He had gotten carried away. Now he had probably frightened her. He looked down at his hands. They were no longer crackling but were covered in blood. He could only imagine what the rest of him looked like.

"Are you alright?" he managed to ask her. She looked alright, but the look on her face was telling him otherwise.

"Yea. I'm fine. Thank you." She nodded, still looking at him strangely.

"Good. Let's go. We must leave now." Vegeta said urgently.

"What about that mess you just made? Someone will discover him. It looks like a wild animal mauled him. Oh, god." She stammered, looking again and the mess of remains.

"It does not matter. He will not be missed. Let's go, Woman!" Vegeta said extending a hand to her. She hesitated a moment and took his hand, sliding herself off the table.

She grabbed her top and skirt, dressing quickly. She looked at him again and ripped off the bottom half of her shirt, and walked up to him, wiping his face. "You're a complete mess." She murmured, shakily.

"It's fine, Woman. Stop fussing." He said softly, grabbing her trembling hand. "We must leave now. We are out of time." He scooped her up and left the room.

Vegeta flew down the hall and outside the palace with her in his arms. He glanced down at her, noting the troubled expression on her face. Without second thought he headed upwards and put her down on the balcony of his chambers.

"Wait here. I will change before we go." He said, heading inside.

Bulma nodded and followed him. She too felt the overwhelming need to change as well. She decapsulated her things and changed quickly into a pair of black jeans and t-shirt. She threw everything back in a pile and capsulated everything again and took a seat, waiting for Vegeta.

She could not believe what had just happened. She should have listened to Vegeta. He had been right. They should have just left here. Now they were in an even worse situation. They had killed someone. She was thankful that she was safe, but at the same time, still shook up. She couldn't shake the image of Vegeta beating that guy to death. She wasn't sure what bothered her more the fact that he had killed the guy or the fact that he was acting now like nothing had happened. Either way, she felt like this was all her fault and she didn't know what to say to him.

Vegeta came around the corner and looked at her. He had showered quickly and was wearing a black flight suit and non formal armor. He didn't want to waste the time, but he wanted to rid himself of the remnants of Zarbon all over him. No wonder she had been looking at him like he was a monster. One look in the mirror had nearly scared him himself. "Are you ready?" He asked.

Bulma nodded and gave him a soft smile, noting his cleaned up appearance.

He leaned down and scooped her up in his arms and off they went.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta landed on the beach on the secluded island he owned. It wasn't completely dark out; the sun was setting though and the sky was a gorgeous mix of yellows, oranges, reds, pinks and purples. He gently placed Bulma on the ground on the sand that was still warm from the scorching day light.

"Wow! This is beautiful!" Bulma exclaimed. "Where are we?"

"This is an island that I purchased a few years ago. No one lives here and no one else knows about it. Not even my father." Vegeta replied, taking in the scenery. It was indeed a very intimate and romantic setting. He had nearly forgotten how beautiful and peaceful it was here; it had been so long since he'd been out here. "No one will bother us here."

Bulma turned and looked at him with a small smile. She hadn't said a word to him since they had left the palace. She didn't know what to say and she was still feeling really shook up. "It's gorgeous." She said.

Vegeta reached for her and pulled her to him. "Woman, I am sorry." He said.

"Sorry for what?" she asked with a frown.

"Sorry that you had to see all that. Back there. I never intended for you to ever have to witness something like that." He said frowning in shame. Her silence since they had left the palace; even what little she had said since they left that room was scaring him much more than he would like to admit. He hoped and prayed that she wouldn't be afraid of him now. If she turned away from him, he didn't know what he would do. It didn't matter that he had told her he had killed before and that she knew vague details of his life that he was ashamed of; it was a different thing all together for her to know these things and then witness s him doing it firsthand. So far she hadn't recoiled from him, which he took as a good sign. But he could tell she was still really shaken up; not that he blamed her. "I should have had you leave. I was so consumed with rage that I didn't even think until after we left. The only thing I thought of was getting him off of and away from you. The rest, oh god, Bulma. The rest of that was just a release of almost ten years worth of pent up hatred for that man coming out in that. For everything he's done to me and others that I knew, to you and what he wanted to do tonight. I reacted. You do not know what kind of horrible and disgusting creature he was. Please believe me when I say I did the entire universe a favor. I am not sorry for it. I am, however sorry that you had to see that. I should have sheltered you from it. I never wanted you to see me that way. Ever."

Bulma nodded. She wasn't sure how to respond. She understood what he was telling her. Her heart broke at the look in his eyes; a look of shame, sorrow, confusion and something else she wasn't quite sure of. Was it anger? She believed him that the universe would be a much safer place without Zarbon in it. But something he had said before Vegeta had blasted him was bothering her. He had said " _See your Prince's true colors."_ What had he meant by that? Had Vegeta simply been hiding who he really was from her since they met? She found it difficult to believe. He was so caring and gentle around her. She believed that he would never raise a hand to hurt her. However, she couldn't wipe that image out of her mind of him beating that man to death. And his face. He seemed to revel in the carnage he was creating. It was such a complete contrast from the man she knew. She would have argued until she was blue in the face that he would not have been capable of what she had just seen over an hour ago. She knew he was a warrior and that he had taken lives; even destroyed entire planets and races. But this was different for some reason.

On one hand she was beyond disturbed but on the other, she understood where he was coming from. He had told her before that this Zarbon was a horrible person. That he had tormented him during his entire service under Frieza since he was a boy. She had witnessed firsthand what a pig he was when she first met him. Even tonight. Was it not enough that she had degraded herself to dancing half naked in front of him even though both she and Vegeta expressed outrage at the idea of her doing it to begin with? Vegeta had stressed over and over again to her since he had taken her with him from the tavern that he would go through whatever means necessary to protect her. She had always just assumed everything would be fine. Now she knew what he meant and how seriously he took that commitment he had made to her.

"Bulma. Please say something to me." Vegeta said calmly. "I need to know what you are thinking."

"I don't even know, Vegeta." She said truthfully, looking into his eyes and shaking her head. She turned away from him and sat down in the sand. "I'm so sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"For not listening to you. You were right. We should have just left. None of this would have happened." She blurted out. "I put myself in that situation and I should not have questioned your judgment."

"Do not be sorry for that. You did not know-"

"But I should have trusted your instincts. You know these people. I don't. When you wanted to leave, we should have just left."

"Woman, you were right that leaving when I wanted to would raise too much suspicion. I am just as guilty of putting you in that situation. I am the one who is unable to stand up to neither my Father or Frieza to be able to have told them both to go to hell." Vegeta said gripping both her arms firmly. He refused to let her take any responsibility in this.

"But what was the point? By now, I'm sure they have discovered him and it's going to be obvious that it was you and now that we're gone, they'll know. What if they're already looking for us?"

"Let them look, Woman. No one will be able to find us. We are half way around the planet from the palace. No one knows that I own this place. It would take them days maybe even weeks to find us if I keep my energy suppressed. By then I will have thought of something. I promise you, my father will be more upset that I left with you than that I killed Zarbon. Even Frieza won't care that I killed that miserable bucket of scum."

"How can you be so sure?" Bulma asked him shakily.

"Because Lord Frieza only wants the strongest warriors in his service. If I was able to kill his top general, then that top general had no business being there. That promotion I told you about? He had hinted that all I had to do to get it was surpass Zarbon. In the end, that would have meant killing him." Vegeta explained. "The only reason Frieza will be upset is if I do not return to take my place as his general."

"You're not going to do that, are you?" Bulma asked.

"Not if I can help it. No."

"So what are we going to do then?"

"We will leave." He said simply.

"Really?" Bulma asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Hmmn." He nodded. "I have been giving it a lot of thought since you mentioned it the other night. It might be our only option."

"Oh, Vegeta!" she exclaimed in joy, hugging him. "This is wonderful! When?"

"Well, now that we have the complication of me killing Zarbon, it will have to be tomorrow sometime in the afternoon at the latest. I had been hoping to let you do one more stint at the banquet tomorrow night and then leave. That way we would have time to map out a route and gather supplies for that gravity room so you could start on that." He said. "Also, there would have been no suspicion and by the time they knew we were gone, we would be long gone."

"Suspicion?"

"That you are my mate." He said, looking intensely at her.

Bulma looked up at him and beamed. She was speechless. "Really?"

"Silly Woman. Why do you think I brought you here?"

"You planned this?"

He smirked at her. "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"I don't know. I just am. I wasn't expecting this so soon. You kept saying we couldn't consider being mated for a while. And then you thought you might have to leave with Frieza and have me to stay with Bardock and his mate until you figured a way out. I thought it might be a few years before we could finally be together."

"Hmmn." He nodded. "I thought it would be a very long time as well, but after not being able to keep track of you last night, I realized that we need to have a bond if I am to be able to protect you to my full capacity."

"You decided this last night?"

"I did."

"Wow." She said, smiling at him and not knowing what to say. "I can't believe this." She leaned in next to him and kissed him.

Vegeta kissed her back; relief flooding through him. He had been so afraid she wouldn't want anything to do with him after having seen him annihilate Zarbon the way he had. He was very ashamed of letting himself lose control like that in front of her. He gently pulled her into his lap so that she was straddling him, and deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him back hungrily.

They sat like that, just kissing and holding on to one another for a long time; relief flooding through both of them. Relief that they were safe. Relief that they were alone and no one would bother them for now. Relief that they could finally be together completely.

Vegeta broke off their kiss and rest his forehead against hers. "I need to know, Bulma. I need to know that you do not fear me."

"I'm not afraid of you, no." she said, looking back at him. "I'm a little upset at having had to see that but the circumstances kind of left you little choice."

"I would never hurt you." He said seriously.

"I know you wouldn't. Thank you. For saving me from him. If you hadn't been there or stepped in when you did I don't know-"

He kissed her, silencing the rest of her sentence. He did not even want to think about what would have happened if he had not stayed. "Although, I am going to have to teach you a few things about self defense. Though I admire your courage to attempt to defend yourself, that was pathetic."

"Hey. I did the best I could!" she argued, feeling somewhat offended.

"I know. That is why it was pathetic. That is what scares me. I will teach you. I might not always be around."

"You always seem to be around right when I need you." She said.

"Woman, it will make me rest easier knowing that you have some sense of how to defend yourself if I happen to not be around to get to you immediately. To know that you can take care of yourself at least until I can get there." He said with a tone that told her she had no choice in the matter.

"Alright. I'll let you teach me." She nodded.

"Good. We will start tomorrow." He said. "I do not understand how you were able to fend him off the first time you encountered him."

"Luck I guess." She shrugged. "I told you I did the best I could and was saved by his scouter going off. If it weren't for that, I would have been done for."

He shook his head. "No more. You will learn."

"Yes, your highness." She said with a smile.

"Now that that is cleared up, I only have one more thing I must ask of you."

"Anything, my Prince." She replied with a smirk.

"This is serious, Woman." He said with a frown. He was suddenly feeling very nervous. He had thought all day of how he was going to ask her and now that he had her safe and in his lap right in front of him, he found the words unable to form.

"What is it?" she asked, caressing the side of his face. He looked so troubled.

"Woman," he sighed heavily. "Bulma. I.. Will you accept a bond with me for the rest of your life?"

Bulma smiled. "Of course I will. I already told you that before. Why was that so hard?"

"After everything that has happened. I needed to be sure your affections haven't changed any. I understand if they have. I have put you in danger and have been unable to protect you."

"You came and protected me when it mattered. That's all I care about." She said gently. "As for everything else, you couldn't have had any way of knowing all this would happen. You've done the best you can and that's all I could ever ask for."

"What if my best is not good enough?" he asked, fear written in the intense look he was giving her.

"Well, you said so yourself that you couldn't defeat Zarbon and you did. With relative ease, or it seemed that way from where I was sitting. I think you greatly underestimate yourself and your abilities."

He shrugged. He had felt an adrenaline surge like nothing he had ever experienced before when he saw Zarbon trying to take advantage of Bulma. Complete rage and instinct had taken over. He had fought with rage before, but it still had not been anywhere near the same as that had been. The overwhelming need to destroy that man and to protect his woman at all costs had completely taken over from all sense of rational thought in his mind at the time.

"I believe that you will always be able to keep me safe if the occasion arises." She said confidently. "I have complete confidence and faith in you."

He looked up at her and into her eyes and saw that she believed everything she had just said to him. The depth of the feelings he had for this woman deepening even further with that simple statement from her. The fact that she believed in him moved him to such a degree that it scared him. What if he failed her? He couldn't. Failure was not an option. Not where she was concerned. He was moved to such a degree that he had nothing to say to her. No words could express what he felt. Or he couldn't find them in that moment, though he knew they were well overdue and she deserved to hear them.

He did the only thing that came to mind and felt natural at that moment and kissed her. He kissed her with as much passion as he could trying to convey everything that he felt to her. He felt another wave of relief when she responded and kissed him back with just as much enthusiasm, opening her mouth for him to explore with his tongue. He pulled her closer into him as she tangled her fingers in his thick hair at the back of his head.

Vegeta broke their kiss and looked at her intensely. _It was now or never._ He thought to himself. He had to do this now before he completely lost his nerve and let his pride nag at him to stop being a weak fool. He reached into his pocket and brought out a small simple black box.

"This is for you." He said simply. The small speech he had prepared mentally thrown to the wind.

"What is it? Bulma asked, blushing.

"Open it up and see for yourself, silly woman."

Bulma opened the small black box and gasped in surprise at the beautiful blue and black ring presented before her. Was that an engagement ring? "Vegeta, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him again. "I thought you guys didn't exchange rings in your culture though."

"We don't. I thought since you will be following my customs and rituals and this is the only one of yours that I really know of that I thought you might appreciate it. I will not be signing any paperwork or treaties. But I can deal with giving you a ring."

Bulma beamed at him. How sweet and thoughtful that he had even thought to do such a thing for her. She fought back the tears she felt quickly coming to her eyes as she felt an overwhelming crash of emotions flood through her. She blinked and couldn't help it as a few tears ran down her face.

Vegeta frowned. He hadn't thought that doing this would make her cry. That was the last thing he had wanted to do. He gently wiped away a tear from her face with his thumb. "Woman. Why are you crying? My intent was not to upset you."

"I'm crying because I'm so happy." She said with a smile, feeling silly. "I'm anything but upset, Vegeta. I can't believe you'd even think to go through all the trouble. I would want to be your mate regardless."

Vegeta shrugged awkwardly. Not really knowing what to say to her. "So this is acceptable?"

"The ring? Of course, Vegeta! It's beautiful. I love it! Why wouldn't it be?"

"I did not know which one to pick. I chose this one because the stone in the middle is the same color as your eyes and I liked the contrast of the black stones. I thought it was delicate as you are. At the time, anyway. If you want a different one, we can go exchange it." He said quickly, now unsure of his choice. It had made the woman cry after all. That hadn't been the reaction he had been hoping for.

"No. It's perfect. I wouldn't have you take it back or exchange it for the world." She said, putting it on her ring finger on her left hand. It even fit perfectly. She held her arm out away from her, examining the beautiful ring on her finger. It was perfect. She couldn't get over how much thought he had put into it. "The blue stone matches my eyes as the black ones match yours." She murmured.

"You said both mates wear rings, correct?" he asked.

"Usually, yea." She nodded. "Some men don't but most do."

He pulled out the plain onyx band from his pocket and held it out to her.

"You got one for yourself?" she exclaimed. "You didn't have to do that. Especially if it's not part of your customs."

"If we are going to do this, I wish to do it correctly or not at all." He said. "I will not be able to wear this, but I bought a chain. I can wear it under my armor until I can wear it without attracting too much attention."

Bulma took the ring and looked at it. She smiled to herself at the effort he had put in. All for her. She took his left hand and slid the ring on his ring finger. "There." She said, smiling at him.

He looked at his hand. He surprisingly liked how it looked on his hand. "Hmmn. Now what?"

"Well, usually after the vows are spoken and the rings are exchanged, the groom, who would be you, gets to kiss his bride, in which case is me." She said, looking at him expectantly.

"In that case," he said and kissed her gently.

Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, pulling herself closer to him.

"What do they do for vows, woman?" he asked suddenly, realizing he had missed that part.

"We don't have to." She said, shrugging.

"No, what are they?" he asked again.

"Usually to the effect of repeating after a minister that you both agree to stick by and cherish one another till death do you part in sickness and in health and for richer or poorer. I don't know the whole thing. Lots of people write their own vows." She explained.

Vegeta nodded. He didn't know why, but he wanted to follow this custom from her people for her, even though he felt it to be completely ridiculous. "Alright, woman. We shall do that."

"What? Make our own vows?" she asked with a smile.

"Why not?" he asked.

"No reason, I'm okay with that. I just never would have thought you'd want to do something like that is all. I already know how you feel about me. I don't need vows to tell me."

"True. But let's do it all the same. That way it should be official in my culture as well as yours."

"Alright. Fair enough. Want me to go first?" She asked excitedly. He nodded. "Okay. Prince Vegeta, I, Bulma Briefs promise to always be here for you no matter what the occasion or the reason. I will support you in any way I can. I accept you wholly, completely and unconditionally for who you are no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at us. I will always be your mate, your friend and your lover for all time until death claims us both. I love you." She said and kissed him.

 _Wow._ He thought to himself suddenly regretting his decision to exchange vows. He wasn't any good at revealing feelings of any sort other than anger maybe. Anything he had to say to her would pale in comparison to the declaration that just came from her. "Bulma." He started, taking a breath. Not knowing at all what he was going to say to her.

"You have my word as Prince of Vegeta-sei that I will always protect you to the best of my ability. I may not always be kind, patient or attentive, but be assured that I will always put your well being and safety ahead of everything and anything else. I will never leave you and will remain faithful to only you. I'll give you everything I am with the knowledge that it will never be enough and that you deserve much more. I do not know what I did that I found myself lucky enough to have found you but please know that I am yours and always will be until my last breath."

Bulma smiled at him as she watched him struggle through that. That he even did this spoke volumes. She was truly touched beyond words by his vow to her and she kissed him as soon as he was finished. Accepting everything he had just said to her.

"Does that suffice, Woman?" he asked with a frown. He couldn't believe he had just done that. He, the Prince of all Saiyans had lowered himself like a fool for this woman. What was she doing to him? He wondered briefly. _She's ruining me._ The deep recesses of his mind whispered to him. _No, that wasn't true_ , he replied. For the first time in his life he felt like he had a true purpose in his life. He had someone else to live for and look after. Not just himself. He knew by continuing on with his plans tonight he would be creating a huge weakness and potential downfall for himself, but at the same time he didn't care. He wanted this woman, no needed this woman; burned for this woman. By the end of tonight she would understand the full capacity of his feelings that he just could not put into words. She would have no doubt of who she belonged to. She would belong to him just as he would belong to her.

"It does, my Prince and my protector." She said with a smile. She leaned down to kiss him again, which he readily responded. He pulled her tightly to him and kissed her within an inch of her life. He ran his hands down her sides slowly, bringing them back up under her shirt sending a shiver through her. She looked down at him hungrily and pulled her shirt up over her head and discarded it to the side. She sat in his lap, looking at him for a moment, wondering what to do next. She quickly made a decision and reached behind her and undid her bra from the back and let it fall between them.

Vegeta gently captured her lips with his own. He soothingly continued to rub his hands up and down her back and sides. He slowly began to kiss and gently nip his way up her jaw, down her neck, to her shoulders until he reached her collarbone and down to her chest. He looked up at her briefly for a moment as if asking her permission to continue. She tangled her fingers in his thick hair on the back of his head and pulled his face into her chest.

Bulma threw her head back as he began to suck gently at her left breast. She kneaded her hands through his hair as she let herself go, relishing in these new sensations.

Vegeta wrapped his strong arms around her small waist, crushing her against him and burying his face into her chest. He inhaled her scent deeply. He could smell her and a hint of her arousal. Just that alone would have turned him on, except for the slight lingering smell of Zarbon still on her neck.

He looked up at her and kissed her again. "Are you ready to head in?" he asked.

Bulma nodded breathlessly and cried out in surprise as he stood up with her in his arms. He put her down for the briefest second then picked her up again, bridal style and carried her into the small house that had been hidden in the trees. She hadn't even seen it from where she was sitting in the sand.

"This is my other home." He said simply. "It isn't as nice as the palace, but that is part of the appeal. No servants, or anyone around to bother us."

"It's wonderful." She said, looking around at her new surroundings after he had turned on the lights. The floors were a simple light brown hardwood. There was a small living area and kitchen with all the necessary amenities. The walls were bare. He didn't even have curtains up on the windows. There was a white sofa and small coffee table in the living room and a table with four chairs in the kitchen.

He carried her up the stairs, revealing a loft. There was a couch on one side of the wall by where they had just come up the stairs and a huge bed on the other end of the room. There were white curtains that hung to the floor closing off what looked like a huge window across from the sofa. Directly across from the stairs was a short hallway that looked to lead off into a washroom.

"I love this, Vegeta. It's so simple." She commented truthfully. "It's perfect. I'm glad you brought me here."

He kissed her chastely on the lips and headed to the window. He drew back the curtains revealing a sliding door and opened it, heading out on to a small balcony. There was a chair and small table and that was it.

Vegeta put her down gently and wrapped his arms around her from behind and gently leaned against her into the railing. They stood there in silence as she took in the view from the balcony. It was almost completely dark out now. The sky was a deep purple and there were millions of stars. Way more than she had ever seen on Earth when he used to sit on the roof of Capsule Corp with Yamcha and stare at the sky for hours. It had been one of her favorite pastimes.

"Wow." She murmured.

"What?" He asked.

"There's so many stars. On my planet, I used to lay on the roof of my home and look at them and I was always amazed at how many there were. I always thought it was so beautiful. This puts that to shame. I guess the universe really is a big place."

"Hmmn. You have no idea, Woman." He said, nibbling on her ear.

Bulma turned around in his arms and kissed him. "So this is it?" she asked shyly.

"Uh hmmn." He murmured, kissing along her jaw line. "If you want it to be. If not, just say the word."

"No. I do. I want this more than anything. I want _you_ more than I have ever wanted anything. It's just-"

"What?" he interrupted her, looking down at her in concern. "I will not hurt you. Not anymore than I can help it, anyway."

"No, I know that. I trust you. It's going to hurt. I know that. That's not what I'm worried about." She said quickly, feeling bad that he would think she even thought that of him. "Can I take a shower first? I know this might seem silly, but I need to shower _him_ off of me. I know it's probably just mental but he had licked my neck and the side of my face before you.. Ya. I'm sorry, if you think I'm being stupid-"

"No, that's fine. I can smell him on you." Vegeta said with a smirk.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, smacking him on the shoulder. "You should have said something when we were out there!"

"I did not want to offend you." He said. "It's not so obvious. It's worn off mostly."

"Still. If you can smell that then I will for sure feel better about showering quick. I'll be really quick, I promise!"

"Go ahead. The washroom is just that way." he said, letting her go and watched as she darted down the hallway as fast as she could. He smirked at the delicate way she covered herself up with her arms.

Bulma closed the door and started up the shower. _Oh my god! This is finally it!_ She panicked excitedly. _We're married! I'm married! Well, almost._ She looked again at the beautiful ring he had given her and couldn't hold back a smile. She loved it. She loved _him!_ She couldn't believe he had done all of this just for her. She uncapsulated a bunch of her things and started going through her stuff quickly. _What am I going to wear?! Of all the times I wore something just in case, right now I have nothing! I'm so unprepared._ She thought to herself as she threw around item of clothing after item of clothing.

"Woman, are you alright in there?" Vegeta asked on the other side of the door, his voice clearly laced with amusement as he heard her rifling around in there.

"I am. I just. I just need to find something to wear when I come out." Bulma called out.

"May I come in?" he asked.

She paused a moment. Thinking that over for a second and then shrugged. He had already seen her without her top on and in a little while they would be mated and bonded anyway. "Umm. Sure?"

He walked in slowly and smirked at her and the mess all over the floor. "Woman, what the hell are you doing?" he asked in an amused tone. She had noticed that he had removed his armor and shirt already. He was only wearing his black training pants.

"I told you, I need something to wear when I come out."

"Silly woman. No you do not." He said walking up to her and leaning into her right ear. "It'll be on the floor in the matter of moments." He whispered sexily.

She looked at him wide eyed and blushed profusely at his insinuation. At which he smirked at her deviously. "Fine." She said, unzipping her pants and removing them, heading into the shower, her hand covering the back of her bum.

He smirked again at her modesty and obvious nervousness at the situation. She needed to calm down. He capsulated the rest of her clothes on the floor and removed his own pants and followed her into the shower.

"May I assist you?" he asked from behind her, startling her. She had not noticed that he had joined her in the shower.

"Sure." She said shortly.

He smirked at her, grabbing some soap and lathering up her shoulders, back and neck. He soothingly rubbed her neck and shoulders. She was so tense he noted, pulling her towards him. He started kissing the back of her head; she had pulled her hair into a high bun on the top of her head so the rest of her hair wouldn't get wet. Vegeta continued to rub her neck, shoulders and arms as he nibbled gently on her right ear. He really wanted her to calm down and relax.

Bulma sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back into his strong arms and giving into his ministrations. She felt silly. Now that they were going to actually be together she was nervous. She was thinking of all the times she had wanted this and all the nights she had been so disappointed that he hadn't taken things further with her. Now that she was faced with it, she was terrified. Not of him. She trusted him implicitly. She just suddenly felt unworthy. What if she disappointed him? She sharply inhaled as she felt his large gentle hands caress her breasts, lathering them up with soap. She moaned as he allowed them to linger and he gently massaged them. He moved his hands down towards her waist. He continued to kiss along her neck and shoulders and caressed her body soothingly.

She turned around to face him and kissed him. He looked down at her and smiled. A real true smile; not his usual smirk. When he smiled, it was absolutely devastating. He was absolutely gorgeous.

Bulma turned around from him and rinsed herself off quickly and shut the water off. When she turned around he was already gone. She exited the shower and he handed her a towel, looking at him in wonder that he was already dry. She dried herself off and threw the towel up over the shower rack.

Vegeta offered her a hand and she took it, following him as he lead her to the bedroom. When they reached the bed he turned and looked at her with an intense look. He looked at her in her entirety; top to bottom, taking in her curves and svelte figure and smiled that beautiful smile again. "You're beautiful." he said.

Bulma smiled and looked at him. He was absolute perfection. The very description of the Greek Gods she had been made to study in school. _No,_ she thought to herself. _He's even more gorgeous._ "So are you." Was all she could manage to say, knowing that saying just that didn't do him justice.

Vegeta smirked and bent down to kiss her. Gently at first, then deepened it; leading her to sit on the bed. She followed his lead.

He got up to shut the lights off, leaving the curtains open to allow the moonlight into the room. It surprisingly provided much light here. As he did that, Bulma took the opportunity to snuggle into the bed and under the silk sheets; her heart pounding a mile a minute. _Just breathe. Just breathe._ She kept telling herself for all the good it did her.

_**Warning: Mature content. If you are not old enough or not comfortable reading some romantic lovemaking, then don't. You have been warned so feel free to skip the rest.** _

Vegeta headed back to the bed and crawled under the sheets, pulling Bulma close to him. She swallowed hard and looked up at him. The look of complete adoration on his face nearly brought tears to her eyes again. She reached up and ran a hand through his thick hair, pulling him close to her and kissing him. He steadied himself with his left arm and positioned himself carefully above her all the while continuing to kiss her. He allowed his right hand to caress her body; her sides to her hip, along her long leg and back up to her breast. He broke his kiss and traveled down to her breast, and suckled gently on the left nipple as he fondled the right with his hand.

Bulma moaned and arched her back into him as she had last night, but this was so much better; no clothing, no worries. They both could give into each other wholly and completely without reservation. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down closer to her. He finished fondling her right breast and let his mouth take over the other one as he moved his right hand down between her legs, gently parting them, giving him access to her most sacred place.

He gently penetrated her wet center and began to gently pump his finger in and out of her, moving his finger in a come hither motion when inside of her. She gasped at the feeling, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as he continued without let up. This time, there was no teasing. He wanted her to reach her peak of pleasure before continuing on. She knotted her fingers through his hair tightly as he continued to pleasure her mercilessly with his hand. Her other hand was clinging to his shoulder. He kissed her deeply as he let his hand caress her clit gently at first and when she started moaning and squirming, he began to stroke her with more urgency as she moved and arched her body against his hand, losing herself in the pleasure he was giving her as his hand continued to caress her and his lips traveled up her jaw line and by her ear. She moaned his name as she felt herself reaching completion as he continued his assault on her body, his fingers playing inside of her. Then there it was.

Bulma gasped as she felt the weaves of pleasure pulsating through her body. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her deeply as he continued pumping his finger in and out of her, allowing her to ride out her climax fully. She tightly wrapped her arms around him as her body convulsed against him.

When she was done and had finally calmed down, he began stroking her again, gently. He had to make sure she was ready for him. He did not want to hurt her, even though he knew it would be inevitable. He looked down at her, her face was still flushed and her body still trembling. She was so beautiful. And she was his. He was glad he had not indulged before in the pleasures of his father's harem. This was something as new to him as it was for her. They were both equals in this. He smirked at the thought that they could learn together. What amazed him was his own self control and patience. His own arousal at this point was almost unbearable, yet he ignored it. He wanted to do this right. She deserved nothing more. He did not want to damage her or have this be an unpleasant experience for her. He had heard many stories throughout the years from soldiers on Frieza's ship, even from Nappa and Raditz about accidentally hurting a woman in the throes of passion. There was a reason his father went through bed slaves like he changed his pants. He had always been disgusted by that. He refused to allow himself to hurt her. She was the only good and pure thing in his life. His life; full of war, destruction, death, anger, disappointment, and torment. Somehow he had found her. He would do his utmost to cherish her.

She looked up to see him looking down adoringly at her. She knew he had put her first ahead of his own pleasure. His level of self control once again impressing her. These past few days he had proved to her over and over again how much he loved her, though he hadn't spoken the words. She didn't need them. She knew. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to her, ready to continue.

She gently reached down, running her hand down his chest and those perfect abs. _Good god, he's incredible!_ She thought to herself. He was absolutely magnificent and beautiful. And he was hers. She finally made her way down to his member and stroked him gently, getting a sense of the length and mass of him and her eyes widened. She had been too nervous earlier and didn't look at him when they had showered or before they crawled into bed. How were they going to do this? She began to panic. She looked up at him and realized she had given herself and her thoughts away.

Vegeta looked down at her with uncertainty. "If you want to stop-"

She silenced him with a kiss. She set aside her fear, knowing that he would stop if she told him to and loving him even more for it. "No. I don't want to stop. I want you." She replied, looking him in the eye as she began stroking his length again gently, loving how he trembled with need above her.

He knew she was ready. He was only dreading the inevitable pain he would inflict on her. Why was this so hard all of a sudden? It was completely natural. After all the nights they had fooled around and almost done this; falling asleep feeling unfulfilled and fighting the urge of wanting nothing more than to roll her back over and just take her, why was he holding back now and still willing to wait if that's what she wanted? He looked into her eyes as he allowed her to take the lead and guide him towards her. He saw no apprehension or doubt. He saw that she wanted this as much as he did. She kissed him lightly on his lips and he took that as permission to proceed. He ever so slowly and carefully slid himself into her.

Bulma gasped suddenly as she felt him reach the barrier of her innocence. At that point he looked down at her, his eyes laced with concern. "I do not want to hurt you." He said.

"It's ok. I know it will hurt. I trust you though." She said, cupping his cheek with her hand.

He took her hand off his cheek and laced his fingers with hers. He couldn't believe how blindly she trusted him. He could tear her in half if he wasn't careful. With one last look, he finally pushed himself into her; kissing her deeply as she cried out and whimpered at the pain. She squeezed his hand, locking her fingers with his. He understood, and stopped himself from moving with great difficulty to give her a moment. Even though he knew this would happen, he still felt a weave of guilt wash over him.

Bulma squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears to not fall, lest he see them and leave. The pain was intense and burned between her legs. She let him kiss her deeply, trying to forget about it. She exhaled and started moving against him, letting him know that she was alright. He broke their kiss and began to move slowly in and out of her. She moaned into his shoulder as the pain began to subside, only to be replaced by weaves pleasure as he slowly and gently made love to her.

Vegeta continued to hold her hand and slid his other arm around her, placing his hand on the small of her back, raising her up slightly so that he could move deeper inside her. He then wrapped his tail around her waist tightly, pulling her even closer to him if that were possible.

He looked down at her, and noted how lost she seemed. Lost in the pleasure and closeness of him wrapped around her. He kissed her again passionately. "Bulma," he rasped into her ear.

"Hmm?" she moaned in response.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked, fighting against every instinct he had not to bite her just yet.

She knew what he meant and nodded. "I do." Was all she could think to say at the moment.

"There's no going back."

"I know."

He kissed, licked and nibbled his way down to where her neck and shoulder connected. He sucked on her for a few moments and then bit down, deeply.

Bulma cried out and squeezed his hand tightly again, but the pain subsided almost immediately as she felt a tremendous weave of emotion wrap itself around her soul. She felt at that moment everything that was Vegeta. The pain and torments he had endured; his insecurities that he hid so well beneath his steely exterior that he wasn't enough. She saw images in her mind. She saw herself as he saw her. From the moment they first met till now. She understood that he was showing her everything he could not say to her and she knew that words would never be enough to describe the depth of feeling he had for her. She remembered the night he had told her, _"I feel very strongly about you."_ What she felt now from him made the meaning of those words pale by comparison.

He let go of her neck and buried his face in her neck, taking in her scent and began moving a little faster inside her. He tried to send to her everything he felt for her. He had felt the vows that he had spoken earlier to her were lacking. This was the only way he could show her what she meant to him. He sent her everything, knowing that bearing his entire soul to her would be opening himself up to weakness, but in that moment, he didn't care. He showed her how much he cared for her, how afraid he was for her at the possibility of losing her for any reason. He showed her the rage, desperation and need to protect her he had felt earlier on; and lastly the desire and passion that burned inside of him for her.

Bulma sighed in contentment as her mind was overwhelmed with emotion. If she'd had any doubts about this man's feelings for her before, she didn't now. She wondered if the bond would work both ways being that she wasn't Saiyan. She calmed herself down and thought of everything she felt for him, hoping he could feel it the way she had felt his thoughts.

She assumed he did when he squeezed her hand gently, as if urging her to continue. She sent him her thoughts of sadness and despair at the loss of her planet. Then the giddiness and joy she had felt that first night they met. The hope and pure happiness when he had returned for her. She then focused on how much she loved him and the acceptance of him even though she knew he was ashamed of many things from his past. She showed him her feelings of longing and desire for him as well as the blind trust and faith she had in him. Faith that he would reach his goals and become unstoppable, faith that he could and would protect her from anything. She lastly sent him the feeling of fear and awe she felt as he protected her from Zarbon. Yes, she had been afraid but she needed him to see what she had seen; he needed to have confidence in himself. She didn't want him to doubt himself or his abilities any more. She showed him exactly what she had seen, the change in his appearance; and then she sent him the pride that she felt for him. Pride that he had been able to do something that he thought he couldn't. Pride in the kind of man he was and would become once he was free from Frieza and his father. Pride that he had chosen her of all people as his mate. Pride in knowing that he would always keep her safe and that she had never felt as safe as she did now with him.

Vegeta looked at her in surprise. He had no idea she felt so strongly for him. He felt he didn't deserve her unconditional love. She shook her head at him as she picked up on that stray thought of his. She didn't want him to feel that way.

Bulma wrapped both her legs around his waist and moaned as he thrust into her a little harder and with more urgency. She gasped and closed her eyes as that simple action seemed to build up even higher pleasure within her. She didn't think she would last much longer. He let go of her hand, wrapping his other arm around her waist, allowing him to be able to thrust himself deeper inside her without hurting her. She wrapped both arms around and clung onto him for dear life, trying to move along with him as they both strove together in unbridled passion towards completion. He felt himself nearing his climax and knew he would only last a few more minutes. He wanted her to join him though.

She felt his tail loosen up around her waist a little and he moved just the tip of it so it was rubbing against her clit from the friction between their bodies. It took her mere moments and she cried out in ecstasy as she felt herself explode from the inside in pure pleasure.

Vegeta looked down at her, savoring the look of pure pleasure on her face and as he felt her muscles contract around him, came his own release almost immediately. He instinctually bit down into her neck again as he climaxed, pouring every ounce of feeling he had into her. _**I am yours and you are mine for all time.**_ He thought to her.

Bulma's eyes shot open a she heard his voice in her mind as clear as if he had spoken the words directly to her. _**I will be yours forever and always.**_ She thought back to him and knew he had heard her when he smirked down at her.

He held himself up with his elbows, resting comfortably, looking down at the beautiful delicate woman beneath him. He smiled down at her as he watched her calm down and catch her breath. She was still trembling slightly. He bent down and kissed her chastely on her lips. He could still feel her emotions swirling around within him. This would have to take some getting used to. He thought to himself.

 _ **Yeah. No kidding!**_ He heard her reply in response at which he smirked down at her. _**Are you alright?**_ He asked, his eyes revealing concern. _**I did not hurt you did I?**_

 _ **No. I'm fine. More than fine actually.**_ She replied, smiling up at him. He had been incredible.

Vegeta smirked as he caught the stray thought that ran through her mind. _**You were pretty amazing yourself, Woman.**_

Bulma blushed and realized that they were still connected. She moaned as he gently licked the bite wound on her neck and felt him start to move slowly inside of her again, making her want him all over again. He leaned down and kissed her deeply as he began to make love to her again.

They spent the rest of the night strengthening their new bond, claiming one another and familiarizing themselves with each other's bodies giving in freely and fully to each other without restraint, completely oblivious to anything else. Not caring that tomorrow would be an absolute disaster that neither one of them would see coming…


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sexual content and slight language and violence warning towards the end of this chapter. Nothing too bad though.

_**Disclaimer**_ : I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 15** _

_**Early the next morning…** _

Vegeta woke up and hugged Bulma closer to him. Last night had been incredible. He and Bulma were finally bonded and mated. It was done. He had claimed her several times last night, strengthening their bond and making sure she knew who she belonged to in no uncertain terms. He took in the scent of her hair and carefully got out of bed so as not to wake her. She needed her rest he thought with a smirk. He had been surprised that his little mate had been able to keep up. She had even woke him up at one point in the middle of the night for another session.

He needed to get up and train. It was still dark out. He could meditate for a little and then do a few drills hopefully before Bulma woke up. He still needed to figure out a plan for them. They needed to leave. He needed to train. He wasn't sure, but he thought he may have had a glimpse of Super Saiyan last night and he needed to test out his new abilities. It hadn't occurred to him until Bulma had shown him through the bond what she had seen.

_**Flashback…** _

Bulma cried out in ecstasy for what she wasn't sure if this was the third or fourth time that night. She had lost track. They had made love a second time that evening and it had been just as amazing as the first time. She remembered falling asleep in his arms and then him waking her up again sometime later for another intense, passionate round. It was as if every time they were together the more their bond seemed to deepen as well. She felt as though they were both completely in tune with one another.

She had woken him up once as well, and she was pretty sure that's where they were now. This time, he had allowed her to crawl on top of him and take the full initiative. The surprised look on his usually scowled face made her giggle at him. He had gripped her hips with his strong hands and wrapped his tail around her waist, steadying her, allowing her to set the pace. He watched her move over him; taking in the perfect curves of her delicate body; the look of pleasure on her face as he filled her. They stayed like that for a little while and then without warning he had managed to flip her on her back and thrust himself deeper into her. It didn't take long and they were both clinging to each other for dear life as they came down from their release.

Vegeta pulled Bulma into his arms, holding her tightly. It all still seemed unbelievable that they were together now like this. He kissed her on the top of her head and settled in for some rest.

"Vegeta?" she asked him, sleepily.

"Hmmn?"

"When you got angry and were beating Zarbon to a pulp, what happened to you?" she asked, looking up at him.

"What do you mean, 'What happened to me'?"

"Well, you changed."

"Woman, I was angry. I reacted at the situation. I thought we already went over this. I do not wish to revisit it. What is done cannot be undone."

"No, that's not what I'm getting at." She said leaning up on an elbow so she could look at him. "Your hair changed color." She said, running a hand through his thick, dark spikes. "And your eyes."

"What do you mean?" he asked her, frowning. _She doesn't mean what I think she means?_

"Just like I said. It was only brief. So brief, I wasn't sure I even saw it. Your hair turned a golden yellow and your eyes kinda flickered I don't know. A bright teal? It was surreal. The whole scenario was, I guess. It went away as quickly as it happened. I almost wasn't sure it happened."

Vegeta looked at her, his eyes widening. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Woman, show me."

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.

"Show me. Through the bond. I need to see exactly what you saw." He said almost frantically.

"I'll try." She said, still not sure of all the aspects; benefits and drawbacks of this bond.

"Just close your eyes and think about it. The same as when you think a thought and I hear it. Think about what you saw, I should be able to see it, just like we did earlier." He explained, a bit unsure himself since he had never experienced a bond with anyone either.

Bulma closed her eyes and thought back to the evenings events as she remembered them happening. She could feel his mind brush hers. It was a neat feeling. She thought back and remembered the energy crackling that seemed to surround him like a golden aura of lightning. She recalled her shock as he began beating the daylights out of him.

_Vegeta balled his fists and began pummeling Zarbon as hard as he could; his hands crackling and releasing his pent up energy into each blow, inflicting much damage, not allowing the handsome green general a chance to get up. He wore a look of absolute murderous rage and blood lust. She noticed the more Vegeta punched him the more energy that reminded her of lightning, seemed to surround him. She wasn't sure, but she thought she had seen his hair and eyes change color._

" _This is for everything you have inflicted on me and what you attempted to inflict on my mate. I shall repay to you tenfold." Vegeta said calmly, pausing for a moment. "You will never touch her." Vegeta growled and let himself power up, releasing the energy he felt at the end of his finger tips that he had been struggling to hold at bay._

_Zarbon looked at him and his face fell. "What the hell?" he exclaimed. The Prince's hair had turned bright yellow and his eyes a piercing teal. With that, Vegeta sent a giant ki ball through the handsome general's chest and it was over; his hair and eyes returning to normal. The golden energy aura disappearing._

Bulma opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Woman, do you know that this means? Do you know what that was?" he asked her excitedly.

"You ascended?"

"I did. That explains why I was able to do away with him so quickly. The bastard never stood a chance." Vegeta said with wonder. "You showed me that earlier, briefly when we first opened the bond. I was so overwhelmed; I didn't even pick up on it."

"I told you to stop underestimating your abilities." She said, kissing him chastely on the lips and snuggling back into his arms.

"I didn't even know." Vegeta said, shaking his head. "I was so caught up in finishing him that I didn't even notice." He couldn't believe it. He could remember feeling an increase in power but he had only attributed it to an adrenalin rush and the relief of being able to finally take out all of his rage and anger out on someone. He had touched his ascension. And it hadn't come to him with any of the bravado and hurrah that he always thought there would be. All these years, he had been training himself half to death to achieve it, and the one moment he needed it, there it was. It had flowed easily through him and allowed him to do what he needed to do to protect his woman.

His woman. This delicate, frail, weak woman in his arms. Who would have thought she would be the key to unlocking his true power. All this time, he had held himself back and told himself that she was sure to be his biggest weakness how ironic was it that she turned out to be the one to help him achieve his true potential?

"I'm not weak." She replied, catching on to his train of thought and trying to not be offended that he had seen her all this time as a weakness, even though he had said it on occasion.

"I agree with you in every way except for physically, you are. However, you can't help that and I will be teaching you a few things to make you less weak." He said to her.

"No, I know that but I am not a weakness to you." She said seriously.

"So it would seem. Who'd have thought, woman." He chuckled. "Get some sleep. We have much to do and figure out in the morning."

Bulma snuggled back into him, letting the matter drop for the moment. He could tell through the bond that she was upset he saw her as a weakness. He hadn't meant for her to pick up on that. He was proud to have her as his mate; in his eyes she was the only woman fit to stand at his side. The truth of the matter was that she may very well have been the reason for his ascension, but she was still a weakness and liability to him. Especially after he was sure Zarbon would have been discovered by now. He knew his father and Lord Frieza would be plotting to destroy her or at the very least threaten to hurt her to get to him. In that way, she was his greatest weakness. They could destroy him through her, as much as he hated to admit it, he knew it was true.

He sighed and decided to get an hour or two of sleep and then get up and test out his new abilities. He had to be sure before they left. If he had truly ascended, then maybe they wouldn't have to leave the planet. He could take out his father and perhaps Frieza too. He needed to figure out the full extent of what he could do. He would find out in a few hours.

_**Current day…** _

Vegeta sat down on the sand, legs crossed; Indian-style not far from where the ocean was lapping at the land. He folded his arms and closed his eyes in concentration. He could sense Bulma. Her energy signal seemed so much stronger to him now that they had a bond. He could pick up on her so clearly now. She was still sleeping peacefully. He cleared his mind of her; putting up a wall on the mental bond they had spent building all night together. He needed to be clear headed at the moment if he was going to be able to tap into his new found power.

He sat there for what felt like hours and then got up to do some warm ups. He started with pushups, then sit ups. He then started shadow boxing with an invisible opponent. He felt the same. Maybe a tad of an increase in his speed, but aside from that, he didn't notice a difference. He flew off quickly into the jungle terrain. He wanted to power up and see if he could tap into his ascension.

Vegeta found a nice quiet spot where there went too many trees to get in his way. He closed his eyes again and cleared his mind. He took a deep breath and started drawing on his inner energy, bringing it to the surface. He could feel it coming to him; it was definitely there. He let out a ferocious roar, releasing his energy into the atmosphere. He could feel it. Hovering in on the inside just at his finger tips. He drew into himself once more, hoping to be able to harness it and release it. He felt the energy begin to crackle around his hands. Smirking to himself he released another bout of energy, sure that he'd have it this time. It was there. He was so close he could almost taste it...

And then it was gone.

Just like that.

Vegeta tried again a few more times, each time with no success. _What the hell?!_ He thought to himself in irritation. He thought he'd had it. Finally. He had felt it hovering just barely beneath the surface of his skin. It had been there, yet when we drew upon it to release this new found power, it simply vanished.

Confused and frustrated, he headed back to the house. Maybe he needed to do some more meditation? He took a seat again near the water, clearing his mind completely. Focusing only on the sound of the weaves, the fresh air in his lungs; the way the sun warmed his skin, the breeze rustling through the trees nearby. He could do this. He needed to awaken whatever it was that was now dormant within him. Why could he not tap into it? It had come to him so easily last night. He hadn't even noticed it!

He sensed Bulma was awake now. He made no attempt to head back into the house. She could find him out here. He felt calm and at peace, letting the discouragement of not being able to reach his goal again wash away. He would find it again. He was sure of it. He smirked as he sensed her approach from behind him.

Bulma quietly sat down next to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him on the shoulder. He smirked at her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer to him. She wore a pair of comfortable black pants, a sky blue tank top that flattered her bust and a pair of black flip flops; her hair in a high ponytail.

"You're awake." He said.

"I am. What have you been up to?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"Some light training. Meditation."

"Did you tap into your new abilities?" she asked, excitedly. "You know, take them for a test drive?"

"Hmmn. No." he replied sourly. "It's evading me again."

She nodded, picking up on his annoyance at that fact. "Well, don't despair. You already did it once. Maybe it only makes itself known when you need it."

"No, Woman. Either you ascend or you don't." he snapped, not meaning to release his frustration out on her, but doing so none the less. "It is something I should be able to call upon at will and retain for as long as I want whether I need it or not."

Bulma nodded. "Well, don't worry about it too much. You did it once, I'm sure it'll just take you some practice is all. You'll figure it out I'm sure." She said leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.

"How are you this morning? You're alright?"

"I'm fine. A little sore and a bit tired, but that's to be expected." She said with an evil smirk. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"I'm not sure yet. We do need to go back."

"Do we really? We should stay here a few days. You said so yourself last night that it could take them a while to find us."

"As much as I would like nothing more, we have to go back. I'm sure my father has sent out more than half his soldiers out looking for us and I'd be very surprised if Frieza didn't send the entire Ginyu Force out after us as well." Vegeta sighed.

"I thought you were going to start training me today." She said teasingly to him.

"Hmmn. I was planning on it." He replied, nodding. He was still distracted.

"You don't have to. I'm just bugging you." She said, poking him, picking up briefly on the many things running through his mind. She couldn't quite pick out a single thought, just lots of different thoughts and emotions going through him. "Is that normal?' she asked.

"Is what normal?"

"I can feel that you're anxious and a whole bunch of other things. Feelings mostly. But I can't pick up on any actual thoughts. I don't know how to explain it."

"The longer we are mates, the easier it will become. It's like anything else, you have to work at it." He replied, looking out onto the horizon. "It can take mates years to form a proper bond. I do not think it will take us that long. Every couple is different. I am surprised how quickly and deeply we bonded in just one night; especially since you are not Saiyan. I expected it to take some time."

Bulma nodded. This was all still very strange to her. "So I will be able to eventually speak with you and carry on a conversation with you in my head, through the bond?"

"Eventually, yes. You did it last night."

"I know. It seemed so easy. Right now, it seems hard. Like I said, I can only pick out the odd thought and mostly emotions from you." She said, frowning slightly, trying to concentrate. _**Woman, stop fussing about it. It will come. You do not want to be in my head anyway.**_

She looked at him wide eyed. _**This is amazing.**_

 _ **See. There you go.**_ He smirked at her.

Vegeta took her into the jungle to explore a bit, enjoy what small amount of peace they might still have. He led the way in down through a natural path into the trees, chivalrously taking her hand. "Watch your step." He said, remembering her inappropriate footwear and stepping over a fallen tree.

They walked for a while in companionable silence. Bulma took in the scenery. The trees here were beautiful. She wondered briefly how old they must have been, the trunks on some of them were wider than she was tall. Aside from the enormous trees, most of the pants and flowers didn't look any different from Earth's plant life. She was disappointed she hadn't caught any glimpses of wild life so far.

Vegeta stopped once they reached a spacious clearing next to a small lake area. There was a break in the trees, letting the sun in, warming the water. He turned to her, letting her hand go and taking a step away from her. "Stand up straight." He said, crossing his arms, legs shoulder width apart.

Bulma did as he asked. "Your posture must be straight at all times, but you must remain lucid as well; you must be able to keep your balance as well as be able to keep your stance loose enough evade any oncoming attack with ease, no matter whether it be expected or not. Always be prepared. Never let your guard down." He said, walking around her while explaining.

He nudged her lightly on her left arm from behind and noted how she almost fell over. "You need to keep your balance, Woman."

"I know. I didn't think you were going to be shoving me around." She objected.

"You need to always be prepared for anything. Trust no one." He said.

"Not even you?"

"No one, Woman." He said, nudging her again, pleased that she stood her ground this time. "Always be aware of your surroundings."

She nodded, keeping track of him as he walked around her. "Now, hit me as hard as you can."

"What? No."

"Woman, I can't teach you anything if I don't know what I am working with. Now hit me." He said again.

"But I don't want to hit you." She whined. "It might hurt."

"Like you could ever hurt me, little one." He chuckled. That was a good one!

While he was standing there laughing at her, he was shocked to get a punch in the shoulder. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Good!" he said.

"I caught _you_ off guard!"

"Hmmn. So you did." He nodded. "Now next time, I want you to follow through properly. That wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. You don't have much to you, use your shoulders; throw your weight into it and then follow through." He walked up to her, straightened up her posture. "Your stance is everything. It is very important." He said, crouching down into a fighting stance.

She mirrored his body stance. "Good." He nodded. "You must be able to hold that stance yet still be loose enough to react appropriately. Now hit me again. Remember to follow through." She did as she was told and punched him in the shoulder again. "Not bad." he nodded. "Again."

Bulma threw another punch at him, which he blocked easily and she threw her other fist at him to counter the block, which he blocked as well with ease.

Vegeta nodded and had her throw a few more punches at him and showed her how to block properly. After about a half hour or so, they called it quits. He was quite impressed with her. She had no physical strength to speak of, but the fact that she was so small and nimble worked to her advantage. He showed her how to get out of a few different threatening holds with relative ease. She may not be able to inflict much damage, but if she knew how to get out of a sticky situation enough to make an escape that would make him feel better. He was glad that she was a fast learner. He only had to show her something once, correct her on it and then she had it. He was very impressed with her actually.

He decided to call it a day. They had accomplished quite a bit today. He pulled his shirt over his head and removed his pants and waded into the water. He ducked under the water and when he reemerged, was nearly to the other side of the lake.

"You coming in or not, Woman?" He asked her playfully.

Bulma nodded and removed her clothes, setting them down next to Vegeta's discarded clothing. She daintily dipped a foot in to the water, testing the temperature and was surprised at how warm it was. She waded into the lake. She was amazed at how clear the water was; unlike many of the lakes back on her planet. She made a shallow dive and swam over to where Vegeta was waiting for her. She emerged right in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He wrapped his strong arms around her small figure and kissed her back. "You did well." He said. "We will continue tomorrow. You will get up to train when I get up and train. I will start you with a few drills to try and build up your strength."

"Like lifting weights?"

"No, Woman." He scoffed. "What a waste of time. You can increase your strength by using your own body. I will teach you. That way you may train wherever without the benefits of a proper facility."

"Alright. I'm looking forward to it!" she said, smiling at him.

"I expect you to apply yourself and to take this seriously, Woman." He said.

"I will, your highness." She replied, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing his again.

He reached up and took her hair down from the high ponytail and running his hands through her wet hair, letting it cascade down to her shoulders. He kissed her back and placed his hands around her hips, entering her carefully. She closed her eyes and moaned at the sensation.

He carried her through the water, holding her tightly to him and leaned against the rocks on the other side of the lake. He closed his eyes as she began to move against him and let his mouth graze against her neck briefly before he bit down on her again.

Bulma cried out as he reopened the wound on the neck. She closed her eyes as she let the feeling of pleasure wash over her. She kissed him when he let go of her neck and tangled her fingers in his hair. A thought had come to her at some point last night but she hadn't acted on it. Without thinking, she proceeded to kiss down his neck, sucking on the skin where his neck met his shoulder and bit down on him as hard as she could.

Vegeta growled as he felt her bite down on him; it thrilled him. She had marked him back. He roughly pulled her closer to him, thrusting himself harder up into her as she still had her teeth sunk into his neck. She let go finally and looked up at him curiously, hoping that had been alright that she had done that. It seemed like the right thing at the time. If he could mark her, why couldn't she mark him?

He looked at her with an expression she could not read and worried for a moment that she had just done something she shouldn't have; when he kissed her deeply and felt the pride he felt for her she relaxed. This tiny slip of a woman never ceased to amaze him. He hadn't expected her to mark him. It wasn't part of her culture. That she did, excited him greatly. He had to remind himself that she wasn't a Saiyan and remember to be gentle with her.

Bulma clung on to him tightly as he picked up the pace, thrusting into her at a much rougher pace than he had last night, but not causing her harm. She rest her head on his shoulder and gave in to the feelings of pure pleasure pulsing through her.

It didn't take long with the pace they were making brought them both to completion, both shouting the others name in the ecstasy of their release.

They both relaxed in the lake for a little while before Vegeta decided it was time to leave. He had been shocked that he hadn't sensed anyone's approach. _Maybe they aren't looking for_ _us._ He thought.

 _ **Wouldn't that be a good thing?**_ Bulma replied to him through the bond. It was getting easier to communicate her thoughts to him.

 _ **I do not know.**_ He replied. This didn't feel right.

_**Well, why don't we stay here for a few days then? It would be like our honeymoon?** _

_**No, Woman, we must leave. I have to find out what's going on. Figure out a way to get you off this planet while I figure out how to reach Super Saiyan again.**_ He said in an irritated tone. He hated not knowing what was going on. He had a bad feeling. _**We should head back now. Hopefully we will not be noticed. I will get my ship ready and leave.**_

 _ **You're not going to speak to your father before we leave?**_ She asked.

_**No. I have nothing to say to him. The longer we stay here, the more danger I put you in. By now I am sure my father and Lord Frieza will be pissed. We have to leave. I will return when I can face them without fear of failure and you are someplace safe.** _

_**Alright. You know best.**_ She replied with a smile and wrapping her arms around his neck, ready to leave and head back to reality. _**You'll bring be back here, right?**_

 _ **In time, if you wish.**_ He replied, scooping her up in his arms and heading back to the palace. He put up a mental barrier, not wanting her to pick up his anxiety as he formulated a plan. Killing Zarbon, while satisfying, had put a major crimp in his plans.

It took about an hour for them to reach the palace from the island. It was just after midday. They were both shocked that they hadn't seen anyone. Vegeta landed on the balcony of his personal quarters.

"I will grab my scouter and find out what we are dealing with here. Then I will start my ship and we will leave. You will wait here and I will come get you." He said, opening the door and heading into his suite, surprised to see Kakarott there waiting for him.

"Vegeta! Bulma!" he greeted. "Am I glad to see you two!"

"Kakarott, what are you doing here?" Vegeta growled.

"Oh, boy. Well, you see, Your father and Lord Frieza discovered Zarbon and sent all the soldiers and Ginyu force out to find you both and bring you both back here. I was waiting for you to warn you." Kakarott explained. "On the plus side, none of the Saiyan soldiers are looking very hard for you."

"That is good news. Kakarott, I need to get Bulma off this planet and far away from here."

"It' already been taken care of. I got your ship refueled and ready last night when all hell broke loose. My father talked to the King and Frieza. It's not good. They think Bulma is to blame for your actions and are plotting to rid you of her."

Vegeta looked at Kakarott with a look of rage. "None of this is her fault."

"Oh, I know that. And trust me, no one here blames you. You're a hero for killing Zarbon. The only ones upset are your father and Frieza." Kakarott shrugged. "And how about you and Bulma, huh? It's official? Good for you guys!"

"Not now, Kakarott!" Vegeta snapped at the younger Saiyan. "You said my ship is ready?"

"It is." Kakarott nodded.

"Alright, take Bulma there. And prepare for departure immediately."

"But what about you?" Bulma asked with a frown. "I am not leaving here without you. Especially if they think this is my fault."

"Woman, did you not hear what the clown said? They are plotting your demise. I will not risk them finding you. Go with Kakarott. I need to grab your plans for the Gravity room from Bardock's lab."

"Forget it! I can re do them once we leave. I am a genius and it is my design." Bulma objected. "Please don't leave me. Lets all go together now."

"No, Woman. I will also grab the progress you and Bardock have already made and capsulate it. It will save time."

"What if you are discovered though?"

"I won't be. I'll be quick. I'll probably make it to the ship before you guys knowing Kakarott's slow ass." Vegeta argued. "Go with Kakarott. It will be fine. Do not argue with me, Woman. Go."

Bulma shook her head. This was a bad plan. "It should be located on the very last table. All of it is already capsulated in a blue capsule. Plans, everything."

"Look, if anything happens, I will let you know through the bond. You guys leave without me. I will find you." He said, looking at her, willing her to just go along with this. "Trust me."

Bulma shrugged. "Fine. But you'd better be on that ship. I don't care; I am not leaving here without you. Understand?"

Vegeta nodded and looked at Kakarott, who got the message and nodded. He knew what to do should this plan back fire. He would leave with Bulma and coordinate a way to meet up once they found a safe place to hide. He didn't like the idea of leaving Vegeta behind any more than Bulma did, but if that's what needed to be done to keep her safe, then he would follow his Prince's orders.

"Get going, now." Vegeta said to her, placing his hands on either side of her face and looking at her intensely.

"Take me with you, I'd feel a whole lot better if you did." She pleaded with him in panic.

"And I will feel better if you head onto the ship with Kakarott. I will not be long and we will be on our way off of here."

"Alright. But be careful." She sighed, still not comfortable with this plan. "I love you." She said, kissing him.

"Hmmn. I know." He replied with a cocky smirk, kissing her back quickly. _**Trust me on this. I will make it up to you later on, Woman.**_ He said to her through their bond.

 _ **I'll be holding you to that.**_ She replied. "Alright, let's go. Be careful, Vegeta." She said, turning to head back out onto the balcony.

"If I am discovered, I will let Bulma know through the bond. I do not care what she says, you are to leave." he said quietly to the younger Saiyan. "Better yet, if I am not on that ship in fifteen minutes, you get off this planet. Take her and go. Do not contact me until you have found some place safe. Understand?"

Kakarott nodded. "I'll take care of her, Vegeta. Don't worry, I know you'll make it on the ship, but if not, I understand."

Vegeta gave Bulma one last glance and left his quarters.

"I don't like this, Kakarott." She said.

"I know, but you heard him. Come with me. I'll get you to that ship, and I'm sure it'll be fine. If I know Vegeta, it'll take a lot to keep him from meeting us. Let's go." Kakarott said, scooping her up in his arms and flying towards the docking bay. The sooner he got Bulma there, the better.

They made it to the docking bay without incident and boarded the ship, not noticing Asia lurking around. She had seen Kakarott board Vegeta's ship last night. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but she knew Vegeta and Kakarott were thicker than thieves. She kept herself scarce and took it upon herself to keep an eye out for either Vegeta or his little wench; sticking around the docking bay in case they decided on an escape once they finally returned.

She wasn't sure where Vegeta was, but she had seen Bulma. She hadn't spoken to the King since last night and knew that the King wanted them both. If they got their hands on her, she knew Vegeta would not be far behind. She smirked and decided to take this news to the King and Lord Frieza.

Asia walked quickly to the throne room, knowing that the King and Lord Frieza were waiting there patiently for any news.

_**MEANWHILE…** _

Vegeta flew down the hallways of the palace, rushing towards Bardock's lab. He was surprised at how empty it was, but if his father was exhausting every effort to have him and Bulma found, then this would be the least likely place to find them, so why keep the guards on post in the halls? He chuckled to himself. This was proving to be easier than he thought it would be. He might even beat Kakarott and his woman to the ship. Wouldn't she be surprised? He thought with a smirk. He could feel her anxiety through the bond.

 _ **Silly Woman, calm down. There is no one here to see me.**_ He reassured her through the bond. Not only to reassure her, but to reassure himself that she would hear him just in case something did go wrong and she and Kakarott could get out of here. He also needed her to calm down. Her anxiety was distracting him.

 _ **Good! Hurry up. We just reached the docking bay.**_ She replied.

 _ **Excellent. I will be there soon enough, now calm down! Your incessant worrying is distracting.**_ He replied and put up a wall so that he could concentrate. He would have to teach her to control her thoughts.

"Well, well, if it isn't Prince Vegeta himself." a voice Vegeta knew well came from down the hall behind him.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. _Shit._ He cursed to himself. "What do you want, Ginyu? I have things to do."

"I don't doubt that. You know, you caused a bit of an uproar last night; you and that little blue haired slave of yours." Ginyu said, walking up to the Prince. "In fact, Lord Frieza sent my entire force and myself out to look for the two of you. We searched all night. Your father sent half the Saiyan soldiers out as well. He is very anxious to speak with you."

"Well that is much too bad. I have no desire to speak with him." Vegeta replied, spinning on his heel and leaving Ginyu in the hallway. "You can tell him so yourself."

Ginyu called Lord Frieza on his scouter. "The Prince has returned. No sign of the girl, but he appears to be headed into the science wing."

"Good. We already know where the girl is. We have been told of her whereabouts. Keep an eye on our dear Prince. See to it he does not leave the palace." Frieza replied.

Ginyu remained in the hall, watching Vegeta closely as he entered one of the labs.

Bardock was not present in his lab, much to Vegeta's surprise. He had never come here and found the older Saiyan absent. If there was anyone he would have wanted to say farewell to, it would have been Bardock. Unfortunately, he did not have the time for any such sentiments anyway, so it was best Bardock was not present. The less people involved in this the better.

He quickly grabbed the blue capsule that contained all of Bulma's plans and the work that had already been done; it was exactly where she had said it would be. He put it into his pocket along with the ring he was still wearing just in case he ran into anyone else.

Vegeta exited the lab and headed hastily towards the shipping dock, to find his father, Lord Frieza, Asia and the rest of the Ginyu Force waiting for him. _Shit!_ He raged internally, looking just over the wall, seeing the shipping dock and his ship waiting there for him, clear as day. If he flew, he could make it in about two minutes. Ginyu appeared behind him. This was just getting better and better. At least they hadn't discovered Bulma and Kakarott, or they would have dragged them out. There was hope. So long as they didn't know Bulma was on that ship.

"Well, Prince Vegeta. How nice of you to return. We were all so very worried. We weren't sure what had happened to you. I am so glad you are safe and sound." Frieza greeted him calmly.

"Where have you been?" His father bellowed at him.

"My whereabouts are none of your concern." Vegeta replied.

"On the contrary. It is all of our concern." Frieza replied. "You are my new general, your father, the King's one and only heir. You have a lovely young woman here as your promised mate. We were all very alarmed at not knowing of your whereabouts."

Vegeta clenched his teeth. He knew he could not possibly take them all out. Not without first testing out his abilities and knowing the true extent of his new found power. There were three members of the Ginyu Force he had confidence that he could with ease, but the rest? Burter; maybe if he got the upper hand immediately. Ginyu; possibly. But Frieza and his father? No. Not yet. Not all of them in one shot anyway. If he had time between, then maybe; but not all of them at once. _I forgot to put on my good armor. I should have changed! Fuck my life!_ This was hopeless.

"Come, my dear Prince, I think it is time we all sat down to have a little chat."

Vegeta's first instinct was to rush to the ship, but he could not risk them blowing it up with Bulma inside. After a thought he nodded and followed Frieza and his father inside the palace and away from the ship. He kept his mental wall up, so as not to have Bulma worry, just in case she should decide to do something stupid and come after him.

He waited until they reached the throne room. _**Woman, go. Take the ship and leave now.**_

 _ **I have been worried sick! What happened? Where are you? Kakarott can come help!**_ She replied frantically.

_**No! Do as I say! Damn it! Leave Now. I mean it! I will find you.** _

"Kakarott! Something's happened! Vegeta just told me to leave." Bulma said in panic. "Through the bond, he told me."

"Then we should go now." Kakarott replied, starting the ship's engine.

"No! Are you insane? I'm not leaving here without him! Please, give him some more time!" Bulma all but shrieked at him. She didn't care what Vegeta wanted, she wasn't leaving here without him.

"No, Bulma. Look, I feel bad leaving him, I don't want to go either, but I made a promise to Vegeta to get you out of here safely and that is what I am going to do. He'll find us. Don't worry." Kakarott said in an unusually serious tone.

"I can't believe you!" Bulma seethed at him, nearly in tears. "You would abandon your Prince?"

"I would to follow a direct order from my Prince. That order was to keep his mate safe at all costs even if that meant abandoning him." Kakarott replied, ignoring her and continuing to start the ship.

"Please don't! I won't leave!" she begged the younger Saiyan. She turned to head to the exit of the ship, not noticing Kakarott bolting out of the captains' seat and following her. She never made it to the door, as Kakarott gave her a quick _chop_ to the back her head, rendering her unconscious. He caught her gently before she fell to the ground.

"I am very sorry, Bulma. But I have to keep my promise to Vegeta." The younger Saiyan said, pushing back the guilt he felt for having to do that. He hadn't hit her very hard, just enough to knock her out until they made it into outer space. He knew he would be in for an ear full once she woke up and she would probably hate him for this, but he knew ultimately that it was for the best.

Kakarott placed her in side one of the small escape pods, just in case. Things had already gone wrong. Who knew what else might go wrong?

_**Meanwhile…** _

Vegeta stood in the throne room, surrounded by everyone he hated. Kakarott had better be blasting off soon. Get some distance before they noticed the ship leaving. There was a small window in the throne room. He could see part of his ship still sitting there. What the hell were they waiting for? If she managed to talk Kakarott into waiting or coming here to help him he would beat him to death for disregarding a direct order. Then he would strangle the woman with his bare hands for not listening to him and not getting the fuck out of here when he specifically told her to do so.

"So tell us, where is that lovely slave of yours, Vegeta? Did Zarbon manage to injure her or have you hidden her somewhere? I assume that's why you felt the need to carve him up as violently as you did." Frieza said, calmly to him. "By the way, congratulations. You've been promoted."

"Zarbon crossed the line of our agreement. I was simply defending what was mine. She may only be a slave, but she is my property. Any Saiyan would have done the same." Vegeta replied. "As for Bulma, she is not here. I am finished with her." He said, silently exhaling as he noticed his ship wasn't there anymore. _Good. Took the clown long enough!_

"Are you sure, Vegeta?" Frieza asked him. "You simply reek of her."

"You didn't take her as a mate, did you?" His father growled. He had been able to smell her on him the moment he saw his son. "Please tell me you aren't that stupid."

"Of course not!" Vegeta scoffed as though insulted. "Why would I tie myself down to a weakling like that? She was simply a good lay. Nothing more. I finished with her last night and severed all ties."

"I see." Frieza said walking slowly up to the Prince, looking at him closely; his arms crossed behind him. "You see, I have reason to believe otherwise, my dear Prince." Frieza replied, walking slowly around the Prince, analyzing him carefully; noticing the lack of reaction from him. His face a perfect stone mask of indifference, not revealing anything. To anyone else, you'd think he couldn't care less. To Frieza, he learned over the years the more indifferent Vegeta acted about something, the more likely it was that he was hiding something.

"Why would you think that?" Vegeta asked emotionlessly.

"Well, your pretty little mate-to-be mentioned she had seen your First Lieutenant board your ship with the pretty blue haired woman who strangely enough resembled your favorite little bed slave." Frieza said, stopping in front of Vegeta. "Coincidentally, that was mere minutes before we so happened to run into you."

"I gave Kakarott leave to take her off planet being that I relieved her of her duties as my Concubine." Vegeta shrugged indifferently.

"So you are aware he boarded your personal ship just moments ago with this girl you defended so valiantly last night?"

"I am. I have no more use for her. "

"And where exactly is Kakarott taking her?" Frieza persisted.

"He is selling her for me." Vegeta replied.

"Right." Frieza nodded. "I thought you had decided to sell her to Bardock?"

"That had been my original plan, however I can make more off of selling her with her talents than what Bardock was willing to pay. As well, the Woman foolishly developed ridiculous romantic sentiments for me. We both agreed it best I send her off planet." Vegeta explained, laughing callously. "Since I did lead her on so as to have a willing bed partner, I thought it only fair I grant her the option of leaving and serving another. I charged Kakarott with making sure she find a decent master."

"I see." Frieza replied. "So you simply seduced her, making her believe you shared her sentiments."

"Exactly."

"Why did you not simply take her by force? That would have been your right."

"I am fully aware of that." Vegeta nodded, trying to think of a plausible answer and trying to stall as long as possible to give Kakarott more time to get away. "However, she being a weak as she was, taking her by force would have been of no challenge. I took more pleasure in playing with her emotions and manipulating her than in breaking her physically."

"And the pay off was worth it in the end?"

"More than worth it. She gave herself willingly, I used her, and now I let her go." Vegeta replied.

Frieza stood there quiet for a few moments as if contemplating this new possibility. It _was_ plausible. Vegeta knew something was coming and braced himself. Frieza had him and he knew it. He wasn't dumb. His only relief being that Kakarott had taken off already. Then without warning, the Lizard Lord whipped Vegeta across the head with his tail.

The force was unbelievable. He thought his jaw may be broken. Before he had a chance to get back up, he got another heavy tail lash across his back before feeling himself being lifted up by his neck. He found himself lifted up off the ground by the Lizard Lord's tail. He tried to loosen it from around his neck, but the more he grabbed at it, the tighter it seemed to constrict around his neck. If he had truly reached Super Saiyan, now would be a good time for it to kick in, he thought in panic. He had to do something fast.

Frieza chuckled and slammed him into the ground one more time for good measure and dragged him behind him outside the throne room and outside where the docking bay was visible.

Vegeta's ship was gone, but unfortunately still visible from the palace. It was all but a small grey dot in the sky.

"My poor Prince." Frieza said shaking his head. "I honestly don't care who you fuck; or who you take as a mate. However, you have proved to have made some very stupid mistakes over the past few days. I do not care that you disposed of Zarbon. I was bored of him; it was your turn to have his position. However, you destroyed him over want of a bed slave and then disappeared."

Vegeta tried again to release the grip of his tail from his neck, but had no luck. _**Bulma, I am sorry. I have failed you.**_

"Let's hope you really enjoyed your evening with you're little slave. You didn't actually mate her, I hope." Frieza laughed at him.

Vegeta tried to kick him, but was lifted off his feet again. He felt himself sink into despair when she didn't reply to him. Maybe she was angry that Kakarott had followed his orders and he had placed a mental wall up, blocking her from him.

"I guess we shall find out. You Saiyans form a bond when you mate, correct? Should she die, she would bring you along with her, wouldn't she?" Frieza taunted him.

"Please, don't. She's gone. She will no longer be a distraction. Let her be." Vegeta grated out as best he could with Frieza's tail choking the life out of him.

"That's very sweet, but unfortunately, I am sorry. Watch closely, Vegeta. I do love fireworks; I hope you do as well. Enjoy the show." Frieza said and aimed a Ki ball directly at the retreating ship.

Vegeta watched in horror as the ship exploded. He could see the tiny debris floating down towards the ground. There was nothing left. He choked and cringed inwardly as he waited for the inevitable pain to follow immediately at the demise of his mate.

"Now that was simply stupendous, don't you think, Vegeta?" Frieza asked him gleefully. "You can truthfully say she went out with a Bang." He laughed as he dropped Vegeta to the ground.

Vegeta dropped to his knees immediately following his release, shaking in a mixture of grief and pure rage. He was completely breathless. He looked at Frieza standing there looking down at him with his arms crossed, looking quite pleased with himself. He roared and threw himself at the Lizard Lord in a blind rage, striking him right square in the jaw.

Vegeta took advantage of the element of surprise and went for another blow that was just narrowly blocked by Frieza who had regained his equilibrium almost instantly.

"My, my. I seemed to have upset you. You said you were done with her. I thought the kind thing to do would be to end her life, seeing that you broke hear heart and such." Frieza said.

"You had no right." He growled, trying to call upon every ounce of self control and energy within him. He needed time; time to calm himself down, clear his head so he could think straight. He couldn't expect to win if he was so consumed with rage that he couldn't see straight, which was his current state of mind at this exact moment. At the moment all he was seeing was red. He needed time to gather the energy he needed to power up to his full potential if he was to have any chance at all of beating him.

"I think I was very much within my right." Frieza said, wiping the blood off the side of his mouth. "You see, you work for me again. I cannot have my general distracted for any reason. Especially over a girl. You will return with me and continue to learn your place until I see fit to release you."

"No. I am not leaving with you. I'd rather rot in hell, Frieza." Vegeta spat at him.

"I could easily arrange the latter my dear Prince Vegeta, but you see, that is where you are wrong. Your father has already consented. I will be leaving in two days time and you will be leaving with me." Frieza said, whacking him again with his tail. "When will you figure it out? You are just as much a slave to me as that little wench of yours was a slave to you. I will not be releasing you anytime soon. You can either make it easy on yourself and come willingly, or if I have to, I will drag you onto my ship. Either way, you will fall into line."

Vegeta stood up proudly, balling his hands into fists. He tried to reach out to Bulma through the bond once again and still felt nothing. He let out a roar of rage and felt himself start to change again. The rush was unbelievable. Now if he could only just hang onto it long enough to rip Frieza apart, he would be happy; as long as it didn't evade him once again. It was almost there.

Frieza laughed at him and struck at him with his tail again. Vegeta had been anticipating it and managed to dodge it, but not quite fast enough. The end of his tail still managed to clip him painfully in the arm, breaking it. "My, that is quite the light show you are putting on. Very impressive."

He could feel the golden aura surrounding him. "Take a good look." He replied haughtily.

"I see you have improved much in the last few years since I have seen you. That will help me rest easy knowing my General is untouchable." Frieza said, acknowledging Vegeta's increase in strength and power. "Unfortunately, you will have to do much better than that, my Prince."

With that, he quickly lunged for Vegeta and buried his knee right in his stomach. He had been so fast, Vegeta hadn't even seen him coming. He didn't get the chance to recover from the blow and Frieza was all over him. Try as he might, he could not get away from him to even get a chance to block any of the blows.

After a few minutes of receiving blow after blow and not being given a split second of a chance to defend himself, Vegeta collapsed. It was no use. He may have ascended, but he was still no match for Frieza. How had he even thought that he could ever gain enough strength to destroy the Lizard Lord?

Frieza stepped on his side, crushing his ribs painfully, cackling in amusement. "It would seem that you are out matched, my Prince." Frieza replied, leaning down into his ear. He looked down at the bloodied and fallen Prince and narrowed his eyes at a red mark on his neck that he had not noticed until now. "You have got to be kidding me. This just keeps getting better and better!"

He wrapped his tail around one of Vegeta's legs and carelessly dragged him down the hallway back to the throne room. Vegeta desperately tried to sit up and get free, but could hardly lift his upper body up, due to the number of broken ribs he had sustained in the skirmish he had just lost epically in.

Frieza walked into the throne room and tossed Vegeta across the room. He landed not far from his father.

Asia gasped. _Oh my god!_ She thought to herself. _Poor Vegeta!_

"My King, it is done. Your Son has been relieved of the distraction; however it would seem that you were correct. There was much more going on between those two than what even you thought." Frieza said, walking up to the King. He grabbed Vegeta by the front of his armor, dragging him up to his father with seemingly no effort. "Take a look. It would seem that the little wench marked him. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that part of your people's mating and bonding ritual?"

The King looked at his son and shook his head in disgust. Now what? He had seen the ship blown to smithereens from his throne room. If he had mated and bonded the girl, it more than likely wouldn't be long before his son succumbed to the depression and passed as well; unless it was only a brand new bond, which he suspected. He hadn't smelled the girl on him since she had arrived. There also was always the possibility that since she was not a Saiyan that the bond didn't take as well. There was some hope. However the thought that his son had indeed taken her as his mate was absolutely inexcusable.

Asia took a few small steps towards Vegeta, the King and Lord Frieza. She peered at his neck and swallowed the heavy lump that had formed in the back of her throat. It could not be. The little bitch had marked him! He had obviously allowed it. She had hoped that Vegeta's explanation regarding Bulma had been true. That he had only been using her to make her think he had wanted her. She had believed him so much that she had actually felt bad for ratting out Bulma and Kakarott's secretive entry on Vegeta's ship. So what was it? If he had allowed her to mark him, had he taken her as his mate as well? This was unbelievable! What did he see in her? She was weak and frail! She wasn't even remotely like a Saiyan! Her feelings of guilt for Bulma's demise quickly vanished.

"Son, did you take her as your mate?" the King asked, barely containing his rage at the situation.

"You know what? I did." Vegeta spat. What did it matter in denying it anymore? Bulma was gone. He still couldn't figure out why he wasn't in a tremendous amount of pain from the bond being severed, however, he was already in excruciating pain from the beating he had received, so maybe he was and he just could not tell. Everything hurt. "And I was more than proud to take her as my mate. Her only flaw was that she was not Saiyan. That being so, I would have gladly made her my queen without reservation. She was a genius upon epic proportions that could have been a great asset to our empire. She was completely unselfish, without ulterior motive and carried herself with grace and class the way a real queen should. More than I can say for you." He grated, pointing at Asia while attempting to stand back up.

"She is the only woman I have ever met that I would bestow the honor of being my mate upon. Should I survive the loss, I can assure you I will not be taking another woman. I will, however make sure I live long enough to carry out the deaths of every single person in this room." Vegeta continued, standing up as proudly as he could, despite the many broken bones in his body.

"Son, she was a bed slave." His father replied angrily. "You had to know that it would come to this at some point anyway. Best it be nipped in the bud now. The bond is new. It probably hasn't had time to even take fully. You will recover and when you are finished your service, you will take a proper Saiyan mate of my choosing. Now get out of my sight before you disgust me any further." The King replied, turning his back on his Son. "Lord Frieza, you may proceed as you wish with him. I have said my piece. He is your problem to handle now." He said to Frieza as he exited the throne room.

Frieza laughed and smacked Vegeta again with his tail, sending him down into the ground again. He walked up to him and kicked him brutally in the side one more time and stepped on his leg, crushing it to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. "Captain Ginyu, take him back to his quarters. See to it that he does not have access to a regen tank until the night before we leave. I think I have made my point."

"Of course, my Lord." Ginyu replied, grabbing Vegeta by the front of his armor and dragging him down the hallway towards his personal quarters.

Asia, not knowing why, decided to follow them back to Vegeta's quarters. Maybe she could help him. His injuries looked pretty serious. If he could not have access to a regen tank for a few days, he would suffer greatly. She was still extremely hurt that he had chosen Bulma over her, but maybe she could use this opportunity to prove to him that she was every bit as fit to be at his side that Bulma supposedly had been. Maybe if she helped him get through these next few days before he had to leave, maybe she could still get him to care for her. After all, he needed someone and the distraction of Bulma was no longer a threat to her.

Ginyu opened the door to Vegeta's quarters and dumped him on the floor carelessly as though he were a bag of rubbish. "Sweet dreams, Princy. Ha haa!" he laughed and closed the door.

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 16** _

Asia waited until they were gone before quietly entering Vegeta's room. She shook her head sadly as she noticed the careless way they had just dumped him on the floor. They hadn't even dropped him near his bed! She knelt down next to him and rolled him on his back. He was an absolute mess.

She got up and looked around. She had never been to Vegeta's private chambers before. She headed into the next room, which she found to be the bedroom. It was absolutely glorious! Even more so than she had imagined it would have been in her many fantasies. She headed on into the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel and ran it under warm water for a minute. She ran back out to where Vegeta was still passed out on the floor of his living room. She began to wipe his face gently with the towel. He had a horrible gash on his forehead that was still bleeding and his left eye looked pretty swollen. She couldn't help but notice the small bite wound on his neck and frown. She forced back the weave of jealousy that once again threatened to take over. Bulma didn't matter now. She was permanently out of the picture and luckily, he had her to help him forget all about her. She had probably tricked him into mating her for all she knew!

Asia continued to dab at the open wound on his forehead gently, when he moaned. "Vegeta? Are you alright?"

"Woman." He mumbled; his eyes closed tightly as he winced in pain. "Bulma?"

"No. Bulma's not here. It's Asia." She replied, trying to keep the edge out of her voice.

His eyes shot open immediately, even the swollen one. "Get the hell out." He growled, shoving her away from him.

"But you're hurt and you need help-" she objected, trying to wipe the rest of his face.

"I do not need help. Yours especially." He said, slapping her hand away from him again. "Get out. Now."

"No. Not until I at least get you to bed."

"I do not need help and I especially do not need your help you conniving bitch! Now get the fuck out of my quarters, and I never want to see you in here again." he said angrily trying to get up.

"You're badly injured, you need someone to look after you." She argued, trying to help him up even though he was pushing her away.

"There, I got up on my own. I do not need your help. There's the door." He growled and started limping towards his bedroom and trying to pull his armor off. He stumbled into the wall in his attempt to get it off.

Asia quickly walked up to him and helped pull it off the rest of the way. He shoved her away again and stumbled to his bed and collapsed, ready to pass out and hopefully never awaken ever again due to the amount of pain he was in.

"Don't you want a shower?" Asia asked, determined she was going to help him whether he wanted her to or not.

"I want you to get out!" he shouted at her.

"I'm only trying to help! You don't have to act like such an arrogant prick! You're practically on death's door for god's sake!" She said angrily, starting to get frustrated with him.

"I am not on death's door! I have sustained much worse than this!" he growled. "I only need a few hours of sleep which you are currently depriving me of. Get out! I do not want your help. Especially knowing that it is partially because of _You_ that my mate was blown into oblivion. You are fortunate that I am in an incredible amount of pain at the moment or I would have ended your life the second you disturbed me. You're continued refusal to leave is wearing my last nerve and if you do not remove yourself, broken ribs, leg and arm or not, I will remove you myself."

"It is _not_ my fault! You caused this all on your own! You signed her death warrant the day you decided to bring her here. Better yet you signed it again a second time the moment you disappeared with her and decided to take her as your mate." Asia replied accusingly. "What were you thinking? How could you have thought that would work out? I refuse to take any responsibility for this. You're better off! I did you a favor."

Vegeta rolled over onto his back slowly and painfully. "I refuse to discuss anything with you where Bulma was concerned." He growled, while painfully trying to sit up.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked, walking up to him in an attempt to help him.

"I am attempting to get up in order to physically remove you myself since you will not leave me alone!" he yelled, managing to stand up again.

"Fine!" she snapped turning to leave. "But I will be back to check on you later on."

"Enter these premises again and I will blast you where you stand!" he shouted at her, flopping back down on his bed. The nerve of that bitch!

Vegeta didn't relax until he heard the door slam. He lay there on his bed, reveling in the complete silence. He closed his eyes and forced his throbbing body to relax. At this point, every bone in his body ached. His head ached. Everything ached. It even hurt to breathe; compliments of Lord Frieza. He didn't doubt he had a punctured a lung from the several kicks to the ribs he had endured. He continued to lie there in silence. What a cluster fuck today had turned out to be. A few hours ago, he'd been showing Bulma how to defend herself. Not long after that, he had taken her again. He could even still smell her on him and he could feel his body wanting to respond at the memory of her marking him. It had been so unexpected. It had been erotic even. He would wear her mark proudly.

She had earned it.

He should have listened to her and left as soon as they had made it back to the palace and Kakarott informed him that he had gotten his ship ready. Or he could have simply left Bulma on his island, gotten his ship and picked her up from there. He could have also taken her suggestion and remained there with him a few more days, testing out his new abilities and making love to her every chance he had. He could have even taken her advice and left the night she had first suggested it. What had he done? Mocked her and told her she was ridiculous and that looking for a safe place would have been an impossible waste of time.

He laughed cynically at the irony.

Vegeta continued to lay there and contemplate the last few days. He knew it wouldn't change anything. No matter which way he looked at it, he had failed her. She had begged him to not leave her. He had told her to trust him and in the end she had and look where it had gotten her. Blown up. And it had gotten him his ass kicked royally. He had been a fool. An arrogant fool and it had cost him the only person he had ever cared for.

He had failed her.

He wanted to go down to the training facility and beat someone to a bloody pulp and not being able to do that because he could barely stand sunk him into a further abyss of anger and self loathing. Training always cleared his head. More than anything though he just wished sleep would claim him, that way the thoughts would disappear. He was in far too much pain at the moment to think clearly. He needed to get some rest and then formulate a new plan. Part of him didn't even want to bother. Maybe he would fall asleep and not wake up. He would be okay with that. However, then Frieza and his father and Asia would win. He couldn't allow that.

He wondered briefly why he wasn't writhing in pain at the loss of her. Shouldn't his head be burning? And shouldn't he be completely grief stricken? He had heard stories about the effects of losing a mate and the pain associated with a severed bond. His own father had supposedly wallowed in indescribable pain and grief for months after the death of his mate. Yet he was one of the rare Saiyans who somehow managed to tough it out and overcome it. _Maybe I am more like him than I thought._ He thought to himself, once again laughing cynically at the irony. All his life he strived to be nothing like his father. Here it was looking as though he was just as much a cold hearted miserable bastard that his old man was. On the other hand, maybe this just proved further to him that he was incapable of having any natural affection for anyone or anything. He had believed that to be so for a long time; that his heart was cold and dead. Bulma somehow didn't believe that. She had even convinced him briefly that maybe there was hope for him, that he wasn't as much a monster as he thought he was.

What did she know? She was a weak frail woman who believed in stupid romantic notions of love concurs all or some crap like that. _What else had she said?_ He thought to himself. There was some quote she had told him once in the many verbal spars they had had on the ship on their trip here. They'd had nothing else to do. It was from some all-important book she had mentioned. He could not remember. He remembered how passionate she had been about the subject. The way her eyes had lit up and the way her lower lip stuck out just a bit more and her flushed cheeks in annoyance when he had laughed almost maniacally in her face about the absolute stupidity of it. What was it again? _Love is forgiving. Love is unselfish, patient, long suffering and kind. It does not look out for its own interests, does not keep account of injury. Love believes all things, hopes all things, and bears all things. Love never fails._ He thought about that for a moment. He wasn't any of those things. He was not patient. He certainly wasn't kind. And he did not forgive those who crossed him. He knew he was selfish. He was always looking out for his best interests. Case in point: he just had to go back and get the plans for that stupid gravity room instead of simply relying on Bulma to remember the plans from that pretty little head of hers. On top of all that, he had failed her. He dwelled on all of that for a few minutes and finally came to a conclusion:

_Stupid Woman._

He thought a little more on it. No, maybe not stupid woman; stupid race for spewing such utter nonsense. There was a reason that planet was gone. _Small wonder_ , he snorted. Try as he might, he could not fault her for believing something that she had been brought up to believe. However, he faulted her for making him believe in the small possibility of something so stupid. Last night he had believed it, when he had taken her carefully last night. He hadn't been selfish then, for probably the first time in his life that he could recall. He had actually put her interest ahead of his own. Something that was completely foreign to him. He had done it willingly too; not because he felt obligated to or because he was expecting anything in return. He didn't know why he had done it, and he didn't regret it. Not even now. He had taken great joy in bringing her pleasure ahead of his own.

Vegeta laid there, still contemplating everything. He didn't know why, but he focused on the bond he had forged with Bulma and tried reaching out to her yet again. He received no response. He could not sense her at all. _Of course not!_ He berated himself angrily. He clenched his teeth together. Why? Why would the gods have tossed her in his direction in the first place if it was never meant to be? Was this some joke? Maybe payback for all the spouses he had killed in his time under Frieza's rule? _That would make sense._ He thought. What right did he have to find a mate and have a chance at happiness when he had killed many families despite their begging and pleading to spare them? None, really. Maybe this was a test they had laid out for him and he had failed miserably. Just like he had failed her. No matter what, it angered him to the core that she had paid the ultimate price. She had never done anything to anyone. He decided that once he was done killing everyone responsible for her death today, he would challenge the gods himself for this hand they had dealt him today. The Legend of the Super Saiyan said that once ascended, he would practically be a god. No one would be able to stand up to him. He would challenge them. Spit in their faces. How dare they place something in front of him and then once he accepted it and found a brief measure of piece, rip it away from him so soon after accepting it. So they might damn him to hell. What did that matter? He was more than likely going there anyway for all the horrible things he had done. He wasn't going until he stood up to them and held them accountable for their actions.

He chuckled bitterly. Then coughed in pain.

What a useless and honor less way to die. Being blown up. He had not only sentenced Bulma to that death sentence, but also Kakarott, his First Lieutenant and most loyal companion since childhood. Aside from Bulma, Kakarott was the only one who really knew him. He was the closest thing to what Bulma would have called a friend. He remembered mocking her. _Saiyans do not have friends. Comrades maybe, but certainly not friends._ He had seen Kakarott more like the brother he never had. They stuck together through everything. Confided in one another. He was always getting the clown out of some scrape because of his stupidity. On the other hand, Kakarott was always behind him in his corner when he picked a fight he should not have. He chuckled painfully at a memory of back when they were boys and he had pissed off Zarbon deliberately for some reason. Kakarott had tried repeatedly to talk him out of it but he had been too angry and hot headed at the moment to see reason. He backed him up though. No questions asked and they both won a free trip to the regeneration tanks for a few days. Other than Kakarott, no one had ever stood up for him. Now he was gone too. What an embarrassment. Kakarott may have been a third class warrior by birth rights, but he was a formidable ally and warrior. He was always right behind him in terms of strength. Vegeta had always had the intention of appointing him as Elite once his father was gone. He deserved it. Now Kakarott was just someone else he had failed. How would he ever be able to face Bardock again? It was his fault Bardock's youngest son was killed today. It was no secret that Kakarott had been his favorite son out of his two sons. He held great affection for both, but Kakarott was always definitely favored.

Vegeta allowed himself to be overtaken by sleep as his mind ran rampant. His throbbing and broken body needed it. He drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Bardock rushed into the palace in panic. He had seen the explosion and knew his son had been aboard Vegeta's ship with Bulma. It had been by pure luck and quick thinking that he had been able to contact his son, however it was looking like it had still been too little too late. Bardock had gone by the wreckage site where the debris had fallen. There wasn't much left. He could not tell if he had been able to escape in an escape pod or not. He hadn't seen the pod ejected from the ship and he could not seem to contact him again with his scouter. It wasn't looking good. He had no idea how he was going to explain this to his mate.

He was headed in a hurry to his lab when he ran into the King.

"Bardock." The King greeted, not knowing if the older Saiyan was aware of all that had happened that afternoon.

"Your Highness." Bardock replied.

"I am not sure if you are aware or not, but unfortunately, your son Kakarott was attempting to escape the planet with my son's bed slave turned mate." The King said, eyeing him carefully.

"I did see a ship blown up earlier." Bardock replied, not knowing how much to reveal.

"It would seem that my Son sent your Son to sell her for him for a decent price instead of to you." The King explained, watching the older Saiyan suspiciously. Bardock only nodded. "He said that the girl had developed a foolish romantic attachment to him; that he had simply lead her on to believe he shared the same sentiments so as to have a willing bed partner. In the end, he decided to sell her off planet instead of to you. Is this true?"

Bardock sighed and thought very carefully on his reply. This was getting even more complicated by the minute. "I was aware the girl carried some measure of affection for the Prince, yes. In which case, sending her off planet would have been a kindness."

The King nodded in agreement. "It would seem, Lord Frieza decided to end her life and destroyed them both by blowing up my son's ship so as to use her as an example for my son since it turned out the stupid fool lied in an attempt to save the useless wench and had indeed taken her as his mate. I am very sorry for your loss, Bardock. You are a very faithful servant to the Empire. It was not the intent to have your son caught in the cross fire. You can take the matter up with Lord Frieza."

Bardock nodded. He did not know what to say. The grief of having lost his youngest son had not sunk in as of yet. As well, he was still hanging on to the possibility that he may have been able to manage an escape, however at this point it was seeming to be more unlikely than likely. He may not have had the time.

"I am curious, though." The King continued. "My son went to your lab before attempting to board his ship. Why would that have been?"

"I do not know." Bardock replied. The only thing he could think of was that the plans for the gravity room and initial building had been there. "Possibly to recover the plans for the Woman's capsulation technology?"

"But if it was her technology to begin with, why would he need that?" The King asked suspiciously.

"I do not know." Bardock shrugged. He knew Vegeta did not want his father aware of the gravity room. Not yet, anyway. "You would have to ask him."

"Well, I left him to Lord Frieza's care. I cannot believe that he would be so careless as to take her as a mate!" The King said, completely outraged. "She was weak and unfit. What he was thinking, I will never know. I just hope that the bond did not take due to the fact that she is not Saiyan and must be fairly new. I do not think he took her until last night."

Bardock nodded. "She would have been valuable, your highness. It is a shame we never had the chance to see her true potential."

"She bewitched my son!" The King bellowed. "Enough that he lost all good sense and mated with the little bitch!"

Bardock nodded, knowing that nothing he could say would change the King's mind. Not that it mattered at this point anyway.

"I am sorry your son lost his life, but her death was for the better!"

"I understand, my King." Bardock replied. "Where is the Prince now?"

"I do not know." The King shrugged. "Lord Frieza gave him a good beating for his carelessness. I left him with him. He is Frieza's problem now. Not mine. Hopefully Frieza can bring him in line. Nothing I have ever said has seemed to work."

Bardock frowned and nodded. "You haven't been to check on him to make sure he is alright?"

"Why would I? He is an embarrassment to me. I specifically told him to not mate and bond to the girl. What does he do? Mates and bonds with the girl. Hopefully he will learn something from this."

"You are sure he will not succumb to the loss of a severed bond, your highness?" Bardock asked.

"She was not Saiyan, and I am fairly confident he only bonded to her last night. It is still a new bond. It may not have had the time to take effect." The King shrugged. "He will pull through. I did and I was fully bonded to my mate."

Bardock shook his head. He could not believe how the King was just brushing this off as nothing. He could only imagine what Vegeta must be going through at this moment.

"I am sorry again for your loss, Bardock. I will be sure to make sure my son follows through with the proper arrangements to honor him." The King said and left the older Saiyan in the hallway alone with his thoughts.

Bardock sighed and continued into his lab. He grabbed a few things. Some pain killers and things to suture up any wounds; bandages and dressings. If Frieza had given him a good beating, he would need some care. He threw everything into a small bucket.

He looked around for anything else he may need and couldn't help but notice that the blue capsule with the gravity room progress and plans was missing. He sighed to himself, knowing that had been the reason he had come here. He hoped Lord Frieza hadn't gotten his hands on it. That was all they needed. He left his lab and headed hurriedly down to the royal wing where he assumed Vegeta would be, if Frieza was really pissed, he would not be allowed the benefit of a regeneration tank for a few days.

Thankfully, there was no one there. He quietly entered Vegeta's quarters and made his way to the Prince's bedroom. The sight before him made him shake his head. The Prince was a mess, passed out in his bed. He went to the bathroom and filled up the bucket with warm water, grabbed a towel and headed back to Vegeta.

"My Prince?" Bardock called him, shaking him gently on the shoulder, hoping it wasn't already damaged.

"Hmmn." Vegeta groaned painfully. He just wanted to be left alone.

"My Prince, wake up." Bardock said, shaking him again.

"Bardock, I failed.-" he replied, coughing painfully. "I failed you and your son. I failed Bulma."

"You did not fail anyone." Bardock said, trying to get him to sit up.

"Leave me alone, Bardock." He said irritably.

"My Prince, you need to let me help you." Bardock said, ignoring him.

"I do not want any help. I just need to sleep." He argued.

"Let me help you and then you can sleep." Bardock said, cutting his shirt off. "At least let me set some of these broken bones and I will leave you alone."

"Fine." Vegeta replied, slowly and painfully sitting up and removing the rest of his shirt. He reached into his pocket and handed Bardock the blue capsule. "Here are the plans for the Gravity room."

Bardock took the capsule and put it in his pocket. "Why did you go back for this? Bulma could have redone the plans. Worst case scenario, I could have had it discreetly sent out once you had found someplace to stay."

Vegeta nodded. He had already gone through all of the woulda, shoulda, coulda but didn't scenarios. "Bulma begged me to leave it behind."

Bardock nodded and began setting his broken right arm. "I am sorry things did not work out today, my Prince. I did try to help."

"I know. Kakarott told me." He replied through gritted teeth as Bardock snapped his arm back into place.

"I knew your father and Lord Frieza were planning something against Bulma last night." Bardock explained. "I sent Raditz to go out looking for you and Kakarott to get your ship ready. I also went out to look for you. On my way back to the palace, I saw your ship leave; thinking the three of you made it out without issue so I continued to head back to the Palace. I happened to see Lord Frieza drag you out in front of the palace. I called Kakarott on his scouter and warned him that Frieza most likely knew he had left with Bulma and would likely attempt something. I do not know if he had time to get himself or Bulma into an escape pod. I did not see one eject and he has made no contact with me."

Vegeta shook his head. "There was no time. I told him to leave if I was not there in fifteen minutes. I notified Bulma through our bond when I knew I would not make it onto the ship. They left a few minutes after that. I did try to stall for as long as I could to give them time to get some distance. Thank you for your help. I regret getting Kakarott mixed up in this as well. He was a loyal comrade and I always had every intention of promoting him as Elite once I took the throne. I will make sure he is honored as he deserved. Unfortunately, he did not die a warriors death but he died following my directions."

Bardock nodded. "I went and checked out the wreckage. There was nothing left. I could not tell if they actually did manage to escape or not. It is not looking good." He had finished setting and wrapping his arm.

"I cannot reach Bulma through our bond. Nor can I sense her." Vegeta replied dejectedly. "They did not make it."

"I am sorry, my Prince." Bardock said, now taking a look at his leg. It didn't seem to be broken as bad as his arm had been and he was still more concerned about his ribs, but began setting his leg nonetheless.

"It is fine, Bardock. I was a fool." Vegeta replied, flinching as he set his leg. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You just lost a son. I still do not understand why you are here."

"I am here to help you, my Prince as I have always been." Bardock replied. "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my son, however you cannot undo what has been done. I have lost my son, but you have lost a mate today. That is no small matter."

Vegeta simply nodded appreciatively. He was still into much physical pain and in a barely contained rage to be able to think clearly where Bulma was concerned. He could not think about her right now. He needed to formulate a plan to destroy Frieza. He would take time out and grieve later once he had avenged both her and Kakarott.

"You mentioned that you could not reach her through the bond. You did formally take her as your mate yesterday?" Bardock asked.

Vegeta nodded. "She accepted."

"Of course she did! Tell me though, what happened last night with Zarbon?"

Vegeta chuckled and coughed painfully. That was where everything went wrong. "I found out from Bulma that it was Zarbon who took her from her home before destroying her planet. He planned on keeping her for himself. He very nearly violated her and would have gone through with it had he not been interrupted by an urgent call on his scouter insisting he drop whatever he was doing for something else. Bulma took the opportunity to hide and left the ship with the other female slaves and ended up at auction and was bought and sent to the tavern. I found her there a few weeks later.

"Zarbon, of course, remembered her immediately when he saw her on stage the other night and kicked up a scene about it in front of Lord Frieza and my father about how she owed him for saving her life. He had wanted to spend the evening with her and in the end agreed to a private dance instead. My father and Lord Frieza made it impossible to back out on. Frieza insisted on meeting her. I brought her out with the plan that after she met them and did a quick dance for Zarbon we would leave. I stuck around to keep an eye on her and it went all according to plan until he was no longer satisfied with simply being a spectator and tried to violate her and would have if I had not been there to stop him. I ascended and ripped him limb from limb."

"I saw that." Bardock smirked. Trying to discern the level of damage to his ribs and the best way to repair them so as to give him at least some relief until Frieza allowed him to get to a regen tank. There would not be anything he could do about the punctured lung he could tell he had, but anything was better than nothing. "It was quite the mess you left. I saw it myself. You ascended, you say?"

"I did. I have not been able to get it again. I tried this morning and it evaded me." Vegeta said wincing as Bardock prodded at him some more, trying to set his ribs somewhat. "I almost had it earlier after the ship was blown up, but didn't get the chance to fully power up and got my ass kicked as you can see."

Bardock nodded and began bandaging him up. "So, what now?"

"I must train. I need you to complete the gravity simulation. I have no choice but to leave with Lord Frieza in two days. Until then you must continue building it. I will come back to visit my father when I can like I did last time. I will try to contact you before I return and get it from you then. I need that gravity room. It is the only way I will ever gain enough strength to beat any of them. I also need to be able to train in secret. No one can know of my ascension." Vegeta said determinedly.

Bardock nodded. "I do not know when I will have it done, my Prince. I will make it a priority but without Bulma's help, I cannot say how long it will take. I told you before, the mathematics are beyond my caliper. She did break everything down extremely well in her notes. I have been over them many times." Bardock said. "It will take me some time, but I am confident I can do it. You will need to be patient though. It could take me months."

Vegeta nodded. "So be it. I do need it though."

"There you go, my Prince." Bardock said, finishing wrapping his side in bandages. "Do you want me to have a look at some of those open wounds?"

"No. I am fine, thank you." Vegeta replied, lying back down.

"I have something to help you to sleep until they grant you use of a regen tank."

"No. I will be fine on my own." He said shaking his head, ready to fall asleep and forget today have even happened.

"Your Highness, surely you want some relief from the pain."

"No. I desire it. I was unable to protect my mate. I do not deserve relief." Vegeta said.

"Vegeta, what happened today was not your fault." Bardock said in an attempt to comfort him, the boy was delirious. "Do not blame yourself. If anything, use it to attain your goal; but do not blame yourself. Bulma nor Kakarott would want that."

"Bulma was a fool." Vegeta replied dryly.

"I'm sorry, your Highness?"

"Bulma was a fool. She put all her trust and hope into me without even knowing me; spewing all this nonsense about goodness and love and hope. Look where it all got her." He said bitterly. "I should have left her at the tavern."

"I'm sure she does not feel that way." Bardock said, unsure of what to say to him. "I know she loved you very much and she knew you would always do your utmost to keep her safe. She would not blame you for what happened today."

"Bardock, I. We shared something last night that I thought impossible." He said, trying to keep his emotions in check. "She bore her soul to me and I reciprocated and bore my soul to her as well. Everything. I set my pride aside for her and she accepted everything; my past, my insecurities, even the knowledge that I may fail her. She accepted it without question. The depth of feeling she held for me was something I always mocked. I never thought it existed. Yet, last night she showed me everything. It was there and I felt it and let myself believe in it. We were able to read each other's thoughts and feelings so easily. Last night, we knew each other inside and out. I vowed to protect her until my last breath. I did not honor that today."

"You were unable to, my Prince." Bardock replied. He had never before seen him so overcome with grief and actually display emotion of any kind. He hoped he wasn't caving into the depression of the severed bond. "How could you have protected her today? Keeping her with you would not have kept her safe."

"She had wanted to stay on the island longer."

"That would have only been delaying the inevitable, your Highness."

"It is as I said. Both she and I were fools." He said dejectedly.

"I disagree, my Prince." Bardock said after thinking it through for a few minutes. "It sounds like you and Bulma forged a very strong bond. It can take mates years to forge what you have just described. I have even heard of mates that never fully understood one another and had a weak bond at best their whole lives."

"Aren't they the lucky ones."

"No, my Prince. What you have described is something beautiful. You are fortunate to have been able to find that in a mate. Hang onto it." Bardock said almost pleadingly.

"Why?"

"Because you never know, they may have found a way out. Do not give up."

"Bardock, I cannot feel anything from her. It feels the same as if we had never opened up the bond at all." Vegeta replied.

"Vegeta, you do not know. They may have been knocked unconscious from the blast. You also have a very new bond. It has not had the time to fully take. Do not give up just yet that she is lost to you."

"Now you sound as foolish as the woman was." He replied, rolling his one good eye.

Bardock stood up and shook his head. He needed some sleep. He was practically delirious, not that he blamed him. He had gone from the joy of having finally been able to formally take Bulma as his mate only to have had her ripped from him within a matter of hours after bonding with her and then endured a heavy beating from his greatest enemy who had also blown up his mate. Vegeta wasn't one for expressing any kind of emotion other than anger, this was probably more than he could handle. It would take him some time for his pride alone to recover from this. Bardock pulled out a needle and quickly injected him with a sedative before he had a chance to refuse.

"What the hell, Bardock! I said no!" He growled. "Leave me in peace!"

"As you wish, my Prince." Bardock said, gathering up his supplies to leave. The sedative would take a while to wear off. He would hopefully be in a better frame of mind once he woke up. Or if Bulma was truly gone, he might be worse. Only time would tell. He turned back to Vegeta just as he started dozing and handed him Bulma's ipod. "I recovered this from the room where Zarbon's remains were."

Vegeta took it. His first inclination was to crush it. He did not want any reminders of Bulma around him. It was bad enough her scent lingered on her side of the bed next to him. After a few moments of contemplation, he decided against destroying it. It was one of the few things that would be left of her. He nodded in thanks to the older Saiyan.

"Bring me those wires over there." He said pointing to the night stand on Bulma's side of the bed. Bardock handed them to him and left him alone.

Vegeta plugged in the earphones, turned it on and scrolled through to the top. He had watched her fiddle with it enough times. He scrolled to the top of the play list of All Songs and let the music play randomly as he allowed the sedative to pull him into a much needed abyss sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 17** _

Kakarott opened his eyes and yawned. He was awake. Finally. It was one week since escaping Vegeta-sei. He shook his head and took in his surroundings. Bulma was snuggled securely into his lap. He looked at the data on the screen. They would be landing in about 45 minutes on the planet Vegas. In the panic of the explosion, the only place he could think to go that would be safe was Vegas. No one would ask any questions. They could stay there for a few days and figure out what to do next. He had enough credits that he could buy a small ship and head out someplace safe.

He hoped Bulma was okay; she had been out cold since he bonked her on the head. The escape pod they took put them both in an instant drug-induced coma. For long trips, it was an automatic response rendering the inhabitant unconscious until about an hour before landing at the specified destination.

It was a miracle they were even alive. He had his father to thank for that. After Kakarott had knocked Bulma out, preventing her from leaving the ship to help Vegeta, he placed her into the escape pod and took off immediately. Within minutes, he answered a call on his scouter from his father who had seen the flying ship. He warned him that Lord Frieza was standing outside the palace with what looked to be a fairly beaten up Vegeta.

Kakarott thanked him and did the only thing that came to mind and set the ship on auto pilot and hurried into the same escape pod he had placed Bulma into only minutes ago. Unfortunately, he didn't realize until he got in and set the coordinates that he had dropped his scouter somewhere in the ship in his panicked state. It would have been too risky contacting him back to confirm that they had gotten away. They had been extremely lucky that the explosion hadn't taken out the escape pod as well. He had felt the turbulence and had been worried it would send them crashing down too. It had been close; very close. By some miracle, they managed to make it through and had lasted the week and were almost ready to land.

Kakarott was not sure what to do. He wanted to contact his father to let him know that they were okay, but there would not be a safe way to do so without being caught right now. If Lord Frieza believed them to be dead, it would be best to continue on until they figured something out. He at least had to get Bulma settled in someplace safe before attempting to contact his father. On the plus side, Bulma and Vegeta were bonded so she could let him know. _Won't he be surprised!_ He thought with a smirk.

Bulma groaned. "Where am I?"

"We are in the escape pod and about a half hour away from the planet Vegas." Kakarott replied, looking down at her with a smile.

"What happened? Where's Vegeta?" she asked in a panic, realizing they were stuck in a tiny space pod that was really designed for one occupant in mind.

"Well, something happened, I'm not exactly sure what and I am sorry, but I had no choice. I knocked you out and placed you in here for safe keeping and left in the ship. My father called me and warned me that Frieza was just outside with Vegeta. It didn't look good, so I set the ship on autopilot and jumped in here and set us to arrive on Vegas." He explained.

"That's right, I remember. Vegeta told me to leave without him and I was going to go help him. You... What did you do?" she asked angrily, remembering the events.

"Bulma, I am sorry. I know you meant well but I couldn't let you leave. I promised Vegeta that I would keep you safe no matter what happened to him."

"We left him." Bulma whispered.

"We did, but I could not let you off the ship. I know this is hard, Bulma, but at least we are safe. They think we're dead. Frieza blew up the ship literally minutes after I ejected this escape pod." Kakarott said, hoping she wouldn't smack him. "At least I can get you someplace safe and then we can contact my father and Vegeta."

Bulma shook her head. She was still feeling groggy but she felt this overwhelming sense of despair and anxiety washing over her. "The bond." She murmured. "I can feel him. He's devastated. I have to let him know we are alright."

"Wait, Bulma." Kakarott said quickly. "Wait until we have landed and find someplace to stay and figure something out."

"But he needs to know, Kakarott! If he thinks we're dead…"

"I know, Bulma, but it is better that we wait and at least formulate some kind of plan. If I know Vegeta, he'll want to come and find you as soon as he knows you're alive. We should at least have a plan or something." Kakarott said.

Bulma sighed. "Alright. But as soon as we land and have a place to stay for the night, I'm letting him know." She said. "Shouldn't he know? Like be able to tell?"

"You've been out cold for a week. First because I kinda knocked you out and then because the escape pod put us both in like a coma until before landing. So he probably thinks you're dead."

"Oh my god." Bulma sighed. That explained the heavy feeling within her. She was picking up on whatever he was feeling. "Wait, a week?"

"Yea. I thought we should come to Vegas. We can easily buy a ship. No one will ask us any questions or care."

"Good thinking. We can probably stay at the Tavern." Bulma suggested. "He told me before I left with you guys that I was always welcome back."

"Alright. We'll go there, maybe get some food and get settled in. Then we need to buy a ship." Kakarott nodded.

They landed about twenty minutes later. They left the pod and made their way to the tavern. Bulma was aware she looked rough, but whatever.

"Good day, would you like a seat?" the hostess asked politely.

"Yes, Umm. I used to work here. Is Toma available by any chance?" Bulma asked, really wishing she'd had a chance to do herself up a bit.

"He is. One moment." She replied, looking Bulma over warily. "Would you like a table?"

"Sure. Please." Bulma nodded. They followed her into the lounge. There was no one on stage yet. It was nice and quiet still.

"Would you like to order any drinks? I can get that going while I go get Toma for you." The hostess offered.

"Alright, I'll have a glass of wine." Bulma said.

"Can I get a beer and an order of that noodles and meat dish you guys have here?" Kakarott asked.

"Sure thing. Anything for you, Miss?"

"I'll try that noodle dish as well." Bulma replied.

The hostess left and Bulma and Kakarott relaxed. Bulma was still feeling really cramped. She had tried to stretch out as much as she could on their way to the tavern, but she still felt off. There was that and the heavy anxious feeling hanging within her. She really wanted to know how Vegeta was. The suspense was killing her. She wondered if he could sense that she was awake now? What would he say to her? She hoped Toma showed up soon and would be able to give them a place to stay. She wanted to take a shower and calm her nerves. At this point she wasn't sure if all this anxiety was just her or if it was coming from Vegeta as well.

"So, you and Vegeta finally made it official?" Kakarott commented with a big grin, taking her out of her thoughts.

"Yea, we did. He took me to a beautiful island that he said was his and we bonded. I am officially his mate and he is officially mine." Bulma replied, unable to hide the blush. "He gave me a ring, which is part of my people's sign of commitment and yeah." She explained, holding her left hand out for him to see.

"Very nice!" Kakarott commented, looking at the ring on her finger. "Who'd have thought cranky Vegeta would have good taste, huh?"

Bulma giggled. "It was certainly an unexpected gesture. But like he said, now it's official in my culture as well as yours."

"True. He bit you?"

"He did." Bulma nodded, pulling the collar of her shirt down, revealing the bite mark. She hadn't had the chance to see it for herself since the morning after. She wondered briefly how it had healed.

"That's a good one." Kakarott commented, obviously impressed.

"As opposed to a bad one?" Bulma asked with a frown.

"Well, I've seen some where the male really marred up the neck of his mate in the heat of the moment. It does not always heal nice." Kakarott shrugged, thinking of a way to properly explain it to her. "Yours is clean. Like a nice crescent. Discreet but still obviously marks that you're taken."

Bulma nodded and smiled. _Such a different culture._ She mused to herself.

"Did you mark him back?" Kakarott asked.

"I did." He replied proudly.

"Right on!" Kakarott nodded. "Although that may have caused more trouble than not since Vegeta ran into his father and Lord Frieza. His father would have had a fit if he'd seen it."

"Maybe he didn't though." Bulma suggested. "Vegeta said that when a mate dies the other follows. Frieza obviously wanted me dead. If they knew we were mated and bonded, they wouldn't have done that. Right?"

"It's hard to say." Kakarott replied. "Frieza is twisted enough that even if he knew, he'd have probably still fired at us the way he did. If for no other reason to watch Vegeta suffer and die. He would take great joy in that for as long as he could. The King, it's hard to say. He may have known and banked on the bond not taking because you aren't Saiyan. Also, some mates take years to establish a proper bond. He may have thought that since it was a new bond it may not have had time to fully take yet, so Vegeta wouldn't be affected as much by your death. In the end, getting rid of you early would have been the best thing. However, it would have still been a gamble on his part. I have a feeling that you guys would have forged a pretty strong bond in a very short time. You two were meant for each other."

Bulma nodded. _Poor Vegeta._ She thought to herself. She needed to contact him and let her know they were alright. He probably did think she was dead. He was so determined to keep her safe she didn't even want to think what this was doing to him. And for a whole week? At least she had been in a drug induced coma. Vegeta wouldn't have had that luxury.

"So, he probably thinks our bond didn't take since he's fine."

"Probably." Kakarott nodded.

"So shouldn't I notify him and give him some relief?" Bulma asked. "I have this overwhelming feeling of anxiety and despair and anger. I'm sure it's coming from him."

"No. Just wait a bit."

"Why? I feel like I'm being mean. I _want_ to talk to him."

"Because he's going to bombard you with a ton of questions and all your answers will be "I don't know". Vegeta _hates_ the answer "I don't know". Let us figure out a few things so we can give him some answers at least." Kakarott advised.

"But won't he be more upset that I didn't let him know right away that we are okay?"

Kakarott sighed. "He probably would, but trust me. He's probably so consumed in rage and grief that he'll just be mad that you have no information for him. Trust me. I've known him since we were boys. He'll be much easier to talk to if you wait and have something to tell him so that he can start formulating a plan. He's going to be mad anyway."

"Fine. I don't like it, but if he yells at me, I'm blaming you." Bulma replied with a heavy sigh. Her stomach was in knots. She wondered if he would be able to pick up on her own anxiety as well?

Toma finally showed up and walked up to their table. "Bulma?"

"Toma!" she replied, standing up to give him a hug.

"I am so glad to see you! My word, you look terrible, but I am glad all the same!"

"Thanks." She replied, rolling her eyes.

"What happened? Please, do tell." He asked, taking a seat at their table and nodding to Kakarott in acknowledgement.

"It's a long story. I went to Vegeta-sei with Prince Vegeta and Kakarott." She said, gesturing to the younger Saiyan. "Things were fine until Lord Frieza showed up. The Prince and I married in secret and were planning an escape but it didn't work out as planned. He sent me with his First Lieutenant, Kakarott and Lord Frieza decided to blow up our ship to do away with me. Fortunately, thanks to Kakarott's quick thinking, he crammed us both into an emergency escape pod and the ship blew up and we are here. Frieza and the Prince think we are both deceased."

Toma nodded as he listened to her story. "Do you need a place to stay?"

"If you can, that would be much appreciated." Bulma nodded. "We will only stay until we buy a ship. Then we will be off."

"You can both stay as long as you need." Toma replied. The waitress showed up with their drinks and food orders. "Whatever they need, see to it and do not charge them." He said to her. The Waitress nodded and left them.

Kakarott dug in immediately. "This dish is different than last time." He commented.

"Oh, we got another chef." Toma replied. "If it is not to your liking-"

"No!" Kakarott replied, waving his hand back and forth. "It's even better! There's more meat and other stuff."

Bulma looked at it. It looked like a few different types of meat. Onions, bean sprouts, red pepper, peas and of course noodles. It was delicious.

"We bought another girl who is apparently from Earth, your planet. Maybe you know her, Bulma." Toma said. "She's strikingly beautiful. We put her on stage and had nothing but trouble with her. I had been hoping she would be like you, but no. The first night, a male patron shouted something vulgar to her and she threw her shoe at him. When he persisted, she came down off the stage and beat him over the head with her other one. Her next two nights weren't any better so I asked her what else she excelled in and she said cooking. We were in need of a new chef anyway, so I sent her there. She is an excellent cook but I still get lots of complaints."

"This is great!" Kakarott mumbled between mouthfuls.

"I'll meet her, Toma. Maybe I do know her." Bulma nodded, just feeling good that there was another Earthling. Odds were, she didn't know her, but she would still like to meet her anyway.

"Alright, I will go and get her." Toma said, getting up to leave.

A few minutes later a tall dark-haired girl walked in. "Bulma?!"

Bulma looked in the direction her name had been called. "Chi-Chi?!" she exclaimed. "Oh my god!" The two young women ran to and embraced each other. "What are the odds? Are you alright?"

"Yea. I was at the auction forever!" Chi-Chi said. "How about you?"

"It's a long story, Chi." Bulma sighed. "I'm so glad to see you!" she said, trying not to cry.

"Me too! I haven't run into anyone else. Have you?"

Bulma shook her head sadly. "No. Just you."

"I ended up on a ship full of women and a few men; no one I knew there either and then we were sent to an auction. What happened to you?"

"Same." Bulma replied, not feeling up to getting into it. "I was sold here actually right away. I did well on stage, was bought by the Prince of a powerful race. It was fine until it wasn't and to make a long story short, I escaped with him and I came back here because it's all I know." She explained, pointing at Kakarott.

"He's a Prince? Wow." Chi-Chi commented. "He's gorgeous!"

"No, he's not the Prince. I had to leave him behind. That's Kakarott, his First Lieutenant. He's keeping me out of harm's way."

"Ohh.. Lucky _You_."

"Come meet him. He loves that noodle dish." Bulma said, bringing her friend over the meet the Saiyan.

"Kakarott? This is Chi-Chi. We were actually friends back on my home planet. We went to school together and she happens to be the chef here." Bulma said. "Chi-Chi, this is Kakarott, Umm. My friend and the Prince's First Lieutenant." She said awkwardly.

"Really? I'm your friend, Bulma? Wow! Saiyans don't have friends! I'm honored!" Kakarott beamed. He had never been called a friend before. "Nice to meet you. This dish is superb."

"Thank you." Chi-Chi replied, blushing. "I don't get many compliments so I do appreciate it."

"Really? I could eat this every day!"

Chi-Chi giggled. Who was this guy? He was absolutely adorable! Not to mention super sexy! Most of the males she had met since being taken from Earth had been absolute pigs! She had been extremely lucky that nothing bad had happened to her. She could hold her own though. Martial arts had been her hobby. She had competed since she had been six years old and always did well.

"I'm taking my lunch break soon. Would it be alright if I joined you guys?" Chi-Chi asked, eyeing up this friend of Bulma's. She wondered briefly if he was just a friend or were they "together" and she just said he was her friend.

"If you're able to, absolutely!" Bulma said. It was so good to see a familiar face.

"Awesome! Let me go grab something to eat and I'll be right back." Chi-Chi said. "Would you like more?"

"That would be great!" Kakarott replied with a huge smile.

Chi-Chi nodded and left.

"She's cute!" Kakarott said as soon as her friend left.

"She is. She's a handful though." Bulma chuckled. "We were practically inseparable."

"That's nice. I'll bet you're relieved she's safe."

"I am! Although, I'm not surprised. I knew that if anyone was going to make it through, it would be her. She can take care of herself. Unlike me." Bulma sighed.

"How do you mean?" Kakarott asked, genuinely interested.

"She was like a master in martial arts and self defense. She used to compete in fighting tournaments all the time."

"Really! Wow! That's impressive!" Kakarott nodded. "She's like your size."

"Oh, don't let that fool you." Bulma laughed. "I've seen her take down guys twice her size."

"Huh." Kakarott commented, shaking his head. A woman that could cook and was trained in physical combat. Now, that was awesome! "You never trained with her?"

"No. I had no interest." Bulma shrugged. "I used to watch her compete. I enjoyed that. We sparred a few times but I was never into it. I'd rather be inventing things or reading a good book."

"You never needed protection on your planet?" Kakarott asked.

"Not really. There were tons of security measures at my home; locks, security guards. I didn't really need to know how. My father bought me a dog. He came with me everywhere. He was trained in property surveillance and personal protection. He died attempting to protect me from Zarbon and his goons." Bulma explained with a frown. Poor guy. "None of it had been enough when it really came down to it."

"Not many can defend themselves from the Ice-jin." Kakarott nodded. "Or even from us when we are sent on a purging mission."

Bulma nodded. "Anyway, whatever. Chi-Chi is a good girl."

"I can see that." Kakarott nodded.

Chi-Chi returned to their table with a bowl of noodles and meat for herself and an extra for Kakarott. "You have no idea how glad I am that you are okay!"

"I know, me too. For you." Bulma smiled. "So, how long have you been here? I was here for about three weeks and I guess it's been about three or four weeks now since I left."

"I've been here about two weeks." Chi-Chi replied. "I hate it. How did you stand it? They put me up there and said I had to perform and then in a few weeks I would be required to entertain men in the private rooms. My first two nights ended with me beating a guy with my shoe."

Bulma laughed. "I would have loved to have seen that. I did alright, actually. I didn't have to entertain. Just perform on stage."

"Lucky you. How did you even do that? Some of them are such pigs!"

"I just ignored them." Bulma shrugged.

"Until Vegeta showed up. You couldn't ignore him." Kakarott said with a chuckle, wagging his eyebrows at her.

Bulma shot him a dirty look.

"What?! It's true! I saw you both looking at each other." Kakarott teased.

"Like you even know anything. I saw you from the stage. You were stuffing your face as fast as you could." Bulma replied, rolling her eyes. "I remember it perfectly. Toma had told me that there was a Prince in the audience and the only ones here were you four and I was trying to figure out which one of you was the Prince and I ruled you out immediately because of your terrible table manners."

Kakarott frowned. "Huh. Well, I was really hungry that day and it doesn't matter, I still noticed you two making eyes. And then you came up to us and yelled at Vegeta and then left with him for a while and he was smitten after that."

"Smitten?" Chi-Chi asked looking pointedly at Bulma with interest.

"It's a long story, Chi. I don't want to get into it right now." Bulma sighed.

"Oh yeah. They were both smitten." Kakarott laughed.

"Enough, please." Bulma begged.

"You have to tell me later!" Chi-Chi said to her. This sounded way too juicy. Bulma and a Prince? Maybe that explained the ring on her finger.

"Fine. Later. I promise." Bulma nodded. "Where's Toma? I really need a shower."

"I don't know. Probably around somewhere." Chi-Chi shrugged. "Do you want me to go find him?"

"No, it's okay, I'll wait. Enjoy your lunch break." Bulma said shaking her head and finishing her glass of wine.

"So, what happened exactly that you came back here?" Chi-Chi asked.

"I need to keep Bulma safe. So, we left my planet, planet Vegeta-sei and came here. We need to buy another ship and then once we do that, we'll have to find a planet where we can lay low for a while."

"Keep Bulma safe, huh?" Chi-Chi replied. "Maybe since she's such good friends with Toma she can convince him that you need to keep me safe as well."

Kakarott couldn't help the blush travelling up his neck and onto his cheeks. "Ha ha haa! Umm. Maybe?"

Bulma rolled her eyes at her friend's obvious flirting.

"Bulma tells me you don't really need protecting though." Kakarott said.

"I can hold my own, I guess." Chi-Chi shrugged.

Bulma snorted. "Yea, okay."

"Hey, it's true. I only do the best I can. I've seen some pretty scary guys since I've been here."

"You have no idea." Bulma nodded.

"Yea, there's lots out there." Kakarott agreed.

"So, where do you rank?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Well, I am from the Saiyan race. We are pretty much the second strongest race in the universe." Kakarott explained. "Prince Vegeta is the strongest Saiyan I know, after his father, the King."

Chi-Chi nodded. "Are all Saiyans as handsome as you?"

Kakarott laughed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I wouldn't know."

"Well?" Chi-Chi asked looking at Bulma.

"Yea, they are a very attractive race. Both the men and the women." Bulma nodded. She had never seen Kakarott look so awkward. Here her friend was blatantly coming on to him and he was pretty much speechless.

It was then that Toma came to check on them. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Not for me, thanks. I was just wondering if I could go somewhere for a shower?" Bulma asked.

"Of course! I have a room ready for you and your companion, unless you'd like separate rooms?"

"Is that okay? If not, we can make due." Bulma said looking awkwardly at Kakarott. She trusted him but wasn't sure what he was comfortable with.

"Whatever is fine with me, Bulma." Kakarott shrugged.

"I can get a second room ready easily." Toma nodded. "Here is the key to yours, Bulma it's in the VIP area. I will have another one ready for him near yours."

"Perfect. Thank you so much, Toma. I hate to impose." Bulma said smiling gratefully at him.

"Not a problem now go!" He said to her. "Anything for you?"

"Maybe another beer and some more food." Kakarott said.

"I'll go." Chi-Chi volunteered.

"Very well." Toma replied, leaving.

"Kakarott, I really need a shower. I need to relax and contact Vegeta. I can't wait any longer."

"Alright." He sighed. "Just tell him we just got here. We will be looking to buy a ship later on today and will be leaving as soon as we can. Find out if he wants us to wait here for him or contact him when we find someplace safe."

"Okay." Bulma nodded. "You going to hang out with him for a bit?"

"After I get him more food, yea. I still have some time." Chi-Chi nodded. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"I'll be here." Kakarott replied.

The two girls left. "Oh my god, Bulma! He's so amazing!" Chi-Chi gushed. "So, are you two like, together or just friends? I am soo jealous!"

"No, We're just friends." Bulma shook her head.

"I kinda thought so. So, what's the deal with this Prince?" her friend asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Chi, I don't have time." Bulma sighed.

"Sure you do! I'll walk you to your room. Give me the cliffs notes version! Come on!"

"Alright, I had no choice but to entertain him here in one of these rooms. I was really pissed at Toma because he had promised me no private audiences. I did it anyway and at first I thought he was a major dick, but he turned out to be really nice. We have a lot in common." Bulma explained.

"Is he as hot as Kakarott?" Chi-Chi grilled.

Bulma couldn't help the blush on her cheeks. "Hotter."

"Really?" her friend squealed. "So what happened?"

"Well, we hung out here. Didn't do anything, and he gave me like a huge tip he said to put towards buying my freedom."

"Oh my god!"

"Yea, I know, right?" Bulma chuckled, her insides fluttering in excitement at the memory. "So like two weeks later, he showed up and paid Toma out for me, and brought me back to his planet. I had told him all about my capsules when we had hung out and he had been so fascinated that he wanted me to help out in their tech department, only it didn't go over well with his father, the King."

"Trust you to bore some hot guy with your boring science stuff." Chi-Chi groaned.

"Hey, I couldn't have bored him that much. He came back for me, didn't he?" Bulma argued.

"I guess. So, what happened?" she pressed.

"Lots. I can't talk about it now. It's so much. I will tell you though. Come back and see me tonight. I will give you the whole story then, I promise." Bulma pleaded with her. She did want to talk to her friend about it, but she needed to get in touch with Vegeta. "There's something I need to do. I will explain it so that it makes sense later. I promise. It'll be good to finally talk to someone who understands."

"You're in love with him." Chi-Chi commented.

"I am. And at the same time, it's so much more than that." Bulma murmured, remembering everything she and Vegeta had shared that last night together. The word _Love_ didn't even begin to cover it. "I will explain everything in full later tonight. Just see if you can snag some snacks and a bottle of wine. We'll have an old fashioned girl's night."

"I'm holding you to that! I'll check on you when I'm done my shift. In the mean time, can I hit on _him_? He seems like a decent guy. He's single?"

"Sure. Yea, he's single. He's a great guy! Not the swiftest, but he's loyal and a real sweetie. His father is great too." Bulma nodded.

"You've met his parents?"

"Just his father. He's a genius and head of the science lab."

"Ugh. Okay. You have to get me out of here!" Chi-Chi begged.

"I know. I'll talk to Toma. Maybe we have enough to get you out of here. If not now, hang in there. When I get back in touch with Vegeta maybe there's something he can do. He got me out with no issue. Plus he kinda owes his buddy for saving me. If you two hit it off, who knows?"

"Please! Okay. I will see you later tonight. I expect details girl!" Chi-Chi sighed, giving her friend a hug.

"It's so wonderful to see you!" Bulma said, trying not to cry.

"I know, you too." Chi-Chi nodded, also trying not to succumb to the emotions threatening to take hold. "Okay. We can cry later!"

"We will!" Bulma agreed and watched her friend rush back down the hall with a smile.

Bulma went in to the room and let out a heavy sigh. She had been so wrapped up with talking to Chi-Chi she hadn't realized which room she had been given. It was the same room she had taken him to the night they had first met. She swallowed the lump in her throat and went to the bathroom. She briefly remembered there had been a Jacuzzi. She went to start filling it. Bulma then went to the kitchenette area to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of wine that was supplied. She opened it, poured herself a healthy glass, closed her eyes and took a nice, long sip.

She exhaled, closed her eyes and cleared her mind.

_**Vegeta?** _

Bulma thought, trying to tap into their bond. She hoped she could reach him. She could feel him. There was still that nagging feeling of anxiety, but no response. Not even a slight flicker of recognition.

_**Vegeta. Are you there?** _

She tried again. Still nothing.

_**Hey, I'm alright. Kakarott's quick thinking saved us.** _

Bulma took a few deep breaths. She refused to allow herself to panic. She headed into the bathroom with her wine, bringing the bottle with her. She needed it. And she settled into the huge tub while the water still ran. She sat there with her eyes closed, trying to relax and clear her mind. Vegeta had told her that this was something she would have to work at. Kakarott even mentioned earlier about new bonds taking a bit to solidify. Vegeta had said the same thing.

Maybe that was the problem. Their bond was still too new. Maybe she was too far away from him? She exhaled deeply again. No sense in panicking just yet. She would find a way through this. She was Bulma Briefs. She had to. She had never been faced with a problem she could not solve.

_**Vegeta, please. I need you. I need to know you're alright. You need to know that I am alright.** _

Maybe he was blocking her again? She had felt him do that. It was like he put up a mental wall; right after he had left to get the plans for the stupid gravity room and then again after he had told her to leave. It hurt. She remembered, like a flinch. A mental shove. She had been upset with him at the time. She had understood that he had probably done it to keep himself from being distracted, but it still upset her. Maybe since he thought she was dead, he put up a wall.

_**For god's sake, answer me! Please? I will haunt you every minute of every hour until you answer me so help me.** _

Still nothing. She shut off the water and sat there in silence, trying so hard to reach out to him, wanting so bad for him to respond. Feeling frustrated, she leaned back in the tub, took a few sips from her chilled wine and closed her eyes. There had to be a way around this.

She tried again a few times before she finally succumbed to despair and let herself cry. What if she couldn't reach him through their bond? Would she ever see him again? She knew she could never return to Vegeta-sei. The King would probably have her executed on sight. And where did that leave Kakarott? If everyone thought they were dead, he couldn't just show up there one day. Did that mean he would have to live out his life in exile as well? She felt horrible. If it were just her and Vegeta then this would be perfect. However, it hadn't worked out that way. Poor Bardock! She thought. They owed him their very lives right at this moment and he probably assumed they were dead too.

Bulma sat there and cried. She didn't know what else to do. Here she was faced with something she hadn't a clue how to solve. There had to be a way to send Vegeta a message discreetly. If he didn't know she was alive and well, maybe he wouldn't be able to hear her trying. Maybe it was the sort of scenario that if he didn't put in the effort as well, it would only be one sided.

When she reconnected with Kakarott, she decided that they would discuss it. He would have to know of some way to contact Bardock. She knew he could be trusted. Maybe if Kakarott told her how, she could find a way to encrypt it so that only he got it? She had no idea how she would do it, but it they were travelling around on a ship for months trying to find someplace safe to stay, she would need something to do.

She felt herself start to calm down a bit at the prospect of a new project. She remembered briefly the new scouter design she had made. Bardock had approved her prototype and had sent for them to be mass produced. Maybe if she got a hold of him, she could have him make one for just himself and Vegeta and program them so that they were the only scouters that could receive their frequency. That was an idea. If the others couldn't pick up on a certain frequency, there would be no worry of discovery.

Bulma grinned to herself. She was a genius after all. Now that she had purged her system of all her petty emotions, she took a deep breath and focused. She cleared her mind of everything and relaxed.

_**Vegeta?** _

Vegeta's eyes snapped open. He had been asleep for a few hours now. It had been a week since the loss of Bulma. When Frieza had been ready to leave, he allowed him the courtesy of a regeneration tank. Thankfully whatever Bardock had given him had knocked him out good. He had woken up a few times, once long enough to take a shower and then once to eat. But he had always fallen back asleep almost immediately.

Each time he had awoke, he foolishly tried to reach out to Bulma through their bond, just in case. It had been no use. It was as if they had never formed a bond. He should not have let Bardock give him any hope that maybe they had escaped. It wasn't possible. They would not have had enough time. Even if they had managed to get into an escape pod, they would not have been able to put enough distance and it would have most likely been destroyed in the explosion along with the ship.

Once he woke up from the regen tank, he found himself back on the cursed lizard's ship and was coldly escorted to his old quarters. _This was hell._ He had groaned to himself.

During the day, he trained with a vengeance. The beating he had received had actually done him much good. Once he recovered, he felt a dramatic increase in his strength. He was thoroughly disappointed he could not let himself go and freely test out just how much he had improved. He was dying to know. He hoped Bardock was making progress on that gravity room. That way he could train in secret and not hold anything back. He was certain that he should be able to turn Super Saiyan without difficulty. He was having a hard time holding his energy in now. That was a good sign and in the end, he focused all his energy on holding back and controlling himself. That in itself wasn't easy and so he saw it as another challenge to master. He could not have anyone know how much he had improved. Not yet.

At night, he had taken to isolating himself in his quarters. He either passed the hours meditating or sleeping. Sleeping was almost always a bad idea. He would dream and find himself cursed with images of Bulma.

Some were good ones. _Really_ good ones; dreams of them together on his island. They were so vivid, he'd awake to the feeling of her skin on him and the smell of her hair and believe she was there with him until he opened his eyes and reality crashed down on him and he realized she wasn't there.

Others were bad ones. Nightmares of her pleading for him to help her. Sometimes they featured Zarbon, Frieza or his father brutally beating or violating her and him not having any way to stop it. Sometimes he dreamt she resented him for allowing her to die on his ship in the explosion. There were other times he even dreamt that by some fluke she and Kakarott had managed to survive and they had built a life together and were blissfully happy with one another without him.

Thankfully tonight he had a relatively dreamless sleep, except he kept hearing her voice calling out to him; almost pleading.

_**Vegeta! Are you alright?** _

He sat up in his bed. There it was again. It was like he heard her calling him. This time it was clear as a bell; as if she were in the same room with him. He shook his head and buried his face in his hands dejectedly. How long would she haunt him? It was clear to him now that the bond they had formed hadn't been so strong that it had taken him with her when she died. Instead he was forced to endure nightmares and now hearing her voice in his head. He supposed it was his body's way of dealing with the severed bond. But now, after a week, it was starting to piss him off.

He got out of bed and decided to do some more meditating. That always helped. _Maybe if I meditate long and hard enough I can purge this blasted bond from my system!_ He thought, irritated that he would spend another night sleepless yet again.

 _ **Don't you dare do that!**_ Came her voice shrilly, again as clear as if she were sitting next to him.

 _ **Vegeta! I'm okay! Kakarott and I are on Planet Vegas! We're staying with Toma at the tavern and will be buying a ship hopefully today or tomorrow and then we will leave to find someplace safe to stay.**_ He heard her voice explain.

Vegeta shrugged, too tired to block it at this point. _**You're dead, Woman. Leave me alone.**_ He finally replied. Maybe this was the beginning and he was finally losing his mind. Maybe if he talked to her voice and acknowledged its presence, it would go away.

_**I am not! And no, you aren't losing your mind! Where are you? Right now?** _

_**In my quarters on Frieza's ship.**_ He replied, deciding to humor her for now.

_**What?! Why the hell are you there? I thought you said you'd never go back?** _

_**I lied.**_ He replied dryly.

_**What happened?** _

_**I had no choice. It was either this or Asia.** _

_**I'm sorry.**_ She replied. He could almost feel the remorse and sympathy.

_**No. I am sorry. I failed you.** _

_**No you didn't!**_ She replied firmly. _**I'm safe because of you.**_

_**Yea. Safe in the afterlife in another dimension because of me. Fear not, Woman. As soon as I exact my revenge and destroy everyone responsible for your death, I will join you.** _

_**Vegeta! I'm not dead! Come find me! I need you. Please!**_ Her voice replied almost frantically.

_**No you don't. I have brought you nothing but grief and danger and pain. I'm glad you're okay wherever you are alright? Now please, leave me alone.** _

_**No, no! Vegeta! Listen to me, damn it!** _

_**No. YOU listen to me. Leave me alone. I do not have the time to deal with this nonsense. I have humored you enough for one evening. You will haunt me no more!** _

_**On the contrary. Until you remove your head from your tight ass, I will haunt you every minute of every day until you realize "Hey, I'm an idiot! My mate is alive and trying to contact me!"**_ she hollered at him.

He smirked. Even in death she was feisty. He could just visualize her cheeks flushing and her eyes blazing in annoyance. _**Alright. Whatever you say. I have humored you for a little while, and I admit I am somewhat amused but I have more important things to do than to allow myself to be haunted by my dead mate. You will leave me alone.**_ With that, he put up a wall and began to meditate. He could not allow his mind to distract him like this.

Maybe this was finally driving him insane. He had heard stories of different effects of severed bonds. This must be his. To be tormented until he passed with her voice in his head. He had remembered once a long time ago a soldier who's mate had died in an accident. He would talk to her for hours as if she were there next to him like a crazy person until he finally passed. That must be why this was happening. There was no way she was alive. He'd be damned if he'd walk around like some crazy fool. This would end now. He could fight this.

Vegeta sat down cross-legged and began to concentrate deeply. It was strange; it was as if he could feel her. He could feel both relief and despair followed by a wave of disappointment. He shook his head and decided this was all just wishful thinking on his part and berated himself again for being a weak fool. It had to be his own emotions he was feeling. His mind playing tricks on him. He had tried for a week to find any glimpse of a connection for any kind of response and it hadn't been there.

He could not believe this. He had pushed away everything he had been brought up to believe where emotional attachments were concerned. He now fully understood why attachments were dangerous. Very dangerous. He decided in that moment to not dwell on or give Bulma a second thought ever again. He would always cherish the very short time he'd accepted her into his life, but he accepted that that part of him he had shared with her died along with her on his ship. He needed to rid himself of the weakness she had infected in him, get his life back on track and focus on his goals. Those goals were to make himself the strongest this universe had ever seen and wipe out Frieza and his entire empire and then his father. Then he would rule his planet and the universe all on his own. He would change everything he hated and make it the way it should be.

He would end the slave trading. Make peace with the planets that held desirable resources and technology to advance his empire and abolish those that wanted to destroy him or who had wronged him in the past.

Vegeta nodded and concentrated on his meditation. He focused on building up a wall around anything that pertained to Bulma. He couldn't afford to let her memory distract him any further. It was never meant to be. He should have known that to begin with. He had been foolish to allow her to get so close to him that he dropped his guard enough to let himself feel anything for her. That had been his fault. He should have known better. He should have taken his father's advice and done away with her the moment he felt her beginning to get under his skin. He cursed himself for allowing himself to care for her to the extent he became vulnerable and weak where she was concerned. He wouldn't deny he enjoyed how she made him feel, but he would not allow it again and if there was anything he wasn't, it was vulnerable and weak. He would not grieve anymore.

Vegeta spent the rest of the evening in deep meditation.

 _ **No Vegeta! Where are you? I will come find you!**_ Bulma pleaded with him. _**Where are you headed? Kakarott and I will come find you.**_

Bulma felt the mental wall go up. He was blocking her. She flinched at the force and sighed in defeat. She'd done it. She'd gotten through, but she'd blown it.

She sat there in the still warm water going over the brief conversation she'd just had with him. He had given up all hope that she was even alive. So much so, that he was pissed off that she'd talked to him and was convinced that he was going crazy. If only there was some other way to get to him. If he wasn't going to believe her through the bond, then she and Kakarott were going to have to figure out a way to track Frieza's ship and go to him. Maybe then he would stop being a stubborn ass. She didn't blame him. If he had tried to reach out to her for a week and felt nothing, what else was he to think? He probably _did_ think he was losing it now that she had found a way to talk to him after a week of nothing. He probably thought it was just wishful thinking on his part. She shouldn't have gotten pissy with him. She hadn't been able to help it though! He had just dismissed her, then decided to humor her and then dismissed her again, permanently. It was frustrating!

Bulma knew how stubborn he was. If he decided that she was dead, then the more she pushed him now, the bigger the wall he would out up to keep her out. She decided she would keep tabs on him but leave him alone for the most part. Maybe try again in a few days. She knew he had things to do like make himself stronger. She didn't want to distract him. At least he was alive; probably hating life at the moment, but alive and well. He would use that rage to fuel along his progress. It was a shame the gravity room hadn't been finished. She wondered if there was a way she could build one once they figured out where they were going? It would take her some time without a proper lab facility. But maybe she could still get it done in a timely manner all the while trying to figure out a way to cross paths with Vegeta. She could try and coordinate that with the completion of it and then discreetly give it to him. That was the beauty of capsule technology. He could slip it down his boot and no one would know.

She decided it was time to get out of the bath and find Kakarott. She chuckled to herself at the thought of Chi-Chi grilling him. He was obviously shy. Chi-Chi might be too much for him to handle. She might have scared him away.

Bulma washed her hair and dried herself off and went through her clothes. _Crap._ These were all her clothes for performing. She left her more comfy stuff in Vegeta's room. Realization dawned on her as she rifled through everything that she didn't have her iPod either. In the panic of the evening's events, she must have left it in the room she had gone into with Zarbon. _Shit!_ That was permanently lost to her now. She was so pissed off! It was the one real piece of her planet she had left. It had brought her much comfort. Not to mention saved her ass in terms of what to do when she came here.

She managed to find a pair of tight black skinny jeans and a black sparkly halter top; not exactly comfortable, but appropriate. She tossed her hair up in a damp bun high on her head and kept her makeup light. She found a pair of black stiletto pumps and headed out to find Kakarott.

She found him still sitting and eating in the lounge. "Hey."

"Hey, Bulma. You look nice." He said, smiling at her. "Did you get in touch with Vegeta?"

"I did." She sighed sadly.

"What happened?"

"He pretty much dismissed me."

"What? Why would he do that?" He asked shaking his head.

"He's convinced we're dead and that he's gone crazy. That I am apparently haunting him and that he will not allow it any longer." Bulma sighed. "He then put up a wall and that was it."

"That sounds like him. Trust Vegeta to be too stubborn to accept another possibility. If he's convinced you're dead, it will be very difficult for you to convince him otherwise. The more you try to contact him, the more pissed off he'll get."

"That's what I thought." Bulma nodded. "We have to go to him. He's on Frieza's ship. I did get that much out of him."

"What's he doing there?"

"He said he didn't have a choice. It was that or mating Asia."

"Oh. Yea, I think I'd make the same choice." Kakarott nodded. "Alright, so what do we do?"

"Well, we find us a ship and leave. Find some place safe to stay. In the meantime, we will find a way to discreetly track Frieza's whereabouts and bide our time. Wait for a convenient way to "bump" into Vegeta. Then he will have to accept that we are actually alive and fine. I will also start on a gravity room." Bulma explained.

"Alright. We can look for a ship now." Kakarott offered, impressed she had seemed to have formulated a plan.

"How did things go with my friend?" She asked lightly, wanting to take her mind off Vegeta.

Kakarott blushed. "She's nice."

Bulma giggled. "A little forward?"

"Yea. She is." Kakarott nodded. They had talked for a good hour after Bulma left. He had hoped she hadn't gotten in trouble for being late. "Hey, do you think that Toma guy would sell her to us?"

Bulma shrugged. She had been wondering about that herself. "I don't know. I wanted to talk to him about that. I can't leave her here."

"Like, she wouldn't be a slave or anything if she came with us."

"I know that. You and Vegeta have never treated me like a slave. I know you would do the same for her. Who knows? Maybe you two will hit it off?" She said with a wink.

"Oh, gee, Bulma." He replied scratching the back of his head nervously. "I'm in no position to take a mate just yet."

"I didn't say you had to take her as a mate. I just implied that maybe you two might hit it off. You can always be just friends. Like me and you are friends." Bulma rolled her eyes. Either way, she would try her hardest to take Chi-Chi with them.

"Okay." Kakarott nodded, satisfied with that. "She's really cute though. She kinda looks like a Saiyan too."

Bulma grinned. "You're right, she does. I'll be hanging out with her a little later on."

"Alright. Well, do you want to go and see what we have for ship options? I have a bunch of money. It should be enough for a small ship."

"Sounds good. I have some money too. I had saved a bunch up when I was working here and the night I met Vegeta he gave me a bunch so I could buy my way out. He wouldn't take it back. I don't really know how much I have but it's something." Bulma offered.

"That's really nice of you, Bulma, but hang onto it." Kakarott replied. "Maybe use it for getting your friend out or for supplies for that gravity room thing."

Bulma nodded. She had no idea how much things cost. She had no sense of currency or anything. She supposed she would find out.

They left the tavern and headed down the street. "Stay close." Kakarott warned.

Bulma linked her arm around his. "Let's go find us a ship!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will warn that this is mostly a recap chapter, since so much has happened. Bulma is filling Chi-Chi in on everything that has happened as well as Saiyan culture since she seems to have an interest in Kakarott. So this is all mostly Bulma's view point on everything that has happened up until this point. I've also given some further insight here and there on both of their pasts. Kakarott and Bulma find a way off Vegas and after this, there will be a huge time gap (a couple of months) and the rest of the story will be continuing on from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did try to add as much humor as possible to keep it entertaining. You know, girls visiting. Kinda the stuff Bulma didn't get to gush about to anyone when she was going through everything first hand. I really liked the idea of Bulma and Chi-Chi getting reacquainted instead of just skipping it. It wasn't originally intended to be this way but there was of course a lot to cover and once I was done, I did put a lot of thought into whether or not to keep it and in the end thought it would be only natural to include it. 
> 
> Please enjoy! I had fun writing it after writing so much angst these past few chapters. Sorry there isn't much in plot development but I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! PS. Thx for following me up until now!!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 18** _

It was starting to get dark out. Bulma and Kakarott had spent the rest of the afternoon and the evening looking for a ship to buy. There were a few they liked, but they weren't sure if they wanted to pay what some of these guys were asking for. They decided to think about it and head back to the tavern. They could always do some more looking around tomorrow and then make a decision.

They had been almost back to the tavern when they had been stopped by a little short bald guy. He had seen and overheard them looking at ships. He said his name was Krillin. He said he had a decent sized ship but it needed a few minor repairs and fuel. He had bought the parts but could not afford the labor. He offered that if they would pay for half the repairs and split the cost of fuel in half, he would take them wherever they wanted to go. It sounded good. He even said it was okay if they brought an extra person on.

Kakarott agreed to meet up with Krillin tomorrow afternoon to take a look at his ship and see if they could afford repairs. Bulma wanted to take a peek and see if it was something she could even fix herself. From what she'd seen, most of these ships were very similar to what she was used to, so maybe she could tinker around with it and save them all some money.

It was a risk, but they felt really good about this little guy. He seemed genuine and nice enough. He didn't ask too many questions about who they were and where they were from so that was good. They parted ways with them and decided to think on it and make a decision tomorrow after seeing the ship and meeting him again.

They walked back into the tavern and took a seat in the lounge again. Chi-Chi hurried up to them and sat down.

"So, any luck?" she asked.

"Maybe. We might have found something." Kakarott nodded. "We are going to check it out again tomorrow before making a decision."

"Sweet!" Chi-Chi replied. "So, B. You ready to come hang out and give me the whole story on this mysterious prince of yours? I got wine and snacks sent to your room."

Bulma smiled. "Sure. I'd like that."

"Let's go!" Chi-Chi said, standing up. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked Kakarott.

"Yea, would you like to come with us?" Bulma asked him.

"No, it's alright. I'm fine on my own. I'm probably just going to eat and then head off to bed myself. We have lots to do tomorrow. You girls go catch up." Kakarott said.

"You sure?" Bulma asked. "If you change your mind, my room is just down that hallway and it's the last one on the end."

"Yea, I know. Toma showed me earlier. Mine is right next to yours."

"Alright. Perfect." Bulma nodded. "I'm serious, if you change your mind and want some company, come join us."

"Yea. You never know. We might just end up in a pillow fight and need your help resolving it." Chi-Chi winked at him, stifling a giggle at his confused frown.

"A pillow fight?"

"Never mind. It was a joke." Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Okay. Well, I'll let you know if I change my mind. Go have fun though." Kakarott said.

"We will." Bulma nodded. She gave him a quick hug and the two left the lounge quickly.

"He is just too cute." Chi-Chi said with a giggle once they were close to Bulma's room.

"He is, but I think you're scaring him a little." Bulma said shaking her head at her friend.

"Well, he doesn't seem to get it that I like him." Chi-Chi argued. "We had the nicest visit this afternoon after you left. He's so nice!"

"I'm sure you did. Kakarott's a nice guy. But it's a _very_ different culture from ours, Chi. I mean _very_ different. Be careful. There's stuff I still don't know."

"Okay, like what? He doesn't seem like the type that's going to throw me over his shoulder and drag me into his cave and have his way with me." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes. "Though, I certainly wouldn't complain if he wanted to do that."

"Chi!" Bulma exclaimed, trying not to laugh. "You're terrible. No, he won't do that, but from what I understand, that's what many males in his culture _are_ like. So just watch what you say."

"Oh, is that what happened to you?" Chi-Chi teased.

"What? No!" Bulma replied, turning all red.

"It is, isn't it? You're turning all red. Oh my god, you hooked up with this Prince? Bulma!" Chi-Chi mock scolded.

"Shut up! Just let me get comfortable and I'll tell you. But no interrupting! It's a long story." Bulma said, unlocking her room.

"Fine." She replied, grinning at her friend. She couldn't wait to hear this story. Just even having an evening together again catching up on girl talk would be so nice. None of the other women here were very friendly, so Chi-Chi hadn't made any friends. She had missed Bulma terribly. She really hoped she could find a way to take her with them. Even if this Kakarott never made a move on her, she would be happy to just go with Bulma; at least then they had each other. It was something familiar.

Bulma pulled out a bottle of wine and a basket of snacks. She tossed the snacks on the huge bed and headed into the bedroom. "Make yourself comfortable."

Chi-Chi followed and took a seat on the bed, grabbing a pillow and stashing it up against the head board. Bulma poured them both a glass and sat down next to her friend.

"Okay. So you know how I told you that I had to entertain him?" Bulma started.

"Yea."

"Well, I ended up bringing him back here." Bulma sighed. "He was a bit of an ass at first but eventually he kinda calmed down and relaxed and we actually got a long really well. I had my ipod-"

"What? You have your ipod?" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

"Yea. I did. I had tons of stuff. I capsulated a bunch of clothes and makeup, my ipod, a bunch of stuff all in the panic before I was taken. I stuffed them in my socks and no one discovered them. So when I ended up here, I just would plug in my ipod and lip-synch to like Christina or Rihanna or Madonna on stage. It was a hit."

"You still have it?"

"No. It got left behind on Vegeta-sei." Bulma shook her head.

"What? How could you have it with you all that time and then just forget it?" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

"Just shoosh!" Bulma said shaking a finger at her friend. "All in good time."

"Fine." Chi-Chi sighed. "Okay, go on. You brought him back here and?"

"And it was like the best date I'd ever had! We drank wine, visited; talked for hours. Found out we have tons in common. Like we were both the only heirs to important families. Well, with him, I guess it's a lot more important being that he's a Prince. But we both were sheltered, and our parents have high expectations, you know."

Chi-Chi nodded.

"He's really smart. I told him what happened to our planet. He knows who destroyed it and he is working at overthrowing and destroying them as well, it was by a bunch of lizards called the Ice-jin. Their leader is a horrible tyrant named Lord Frieza. He's been apparently terrorizing the universe for decades. That's how we got talking about capsules. He totally understood." Bulma said excitedly.

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "Now, that's an amazing feat in itself. You found someone to humor your tech talk and didn't bore him half to death?"

"No! He was fascinated and wanted to know more!" Bulma said. "Anyway, I put on some music and I made him dance with me." She giggled.

"You made him dance with you?"

"Yea! Oh yea, so when I first got here, I was freaked out cause I didn't know what to expect cause I didn't know what his expectations were, and obviously, this room is for hooking up. So I was all flustered and worried. Anyway, he must have noticed because he got all serious and said 'You don't have to be afraid of me. I don't see the honor in forcing myself on women. I hate places like these and I am only here because I promised my men an evening out wherever they wanted.' So that's when we got to visiting and he wanted to know what I wanted to do, so I said I always wanted to dance with a Prince."

Chi-Chi giggled. "Seriously? You are so lame!"

Bulma nodded. "I know, but I couldn't resist! I just wanted to get close to him for some reason. So we slow danced together a bit, and visited some more. He told me about his goals and about how his father is trying to force him to marry this bitch for political reasons and how he can't stand her and then he decided to leave and gave me a bunch of money he said to put towards buying my freedom and then he kissed the back of my hand and I asked him if I'd ever see him again and he said 'Not likely'. And that was it. He left." She sighed dreamily.

"Wow." Chi-Chi murmured. "That must have sucked."

"It did! Like I seriously kept yelling in my head how not fair it was! He was so perfect and respectful! I have never clicked with a guy like that. Not even Yamcha! Yamcha was such an airhead! I couldn't talk to him about anything related to my father's company. This guy actually wanted to know."

"Not to mention that Yamcha would have been trying to get into your pants the whole time." Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "I kept telling you there are way better guys out there than him. You wouldn't listen. You just kept him around."

"Oh, you have no idea! I feel so dumb now." Bulma shook her head and took a sip from her wine.

"So, this Prince. What's his name again?"

"Vegeta."

"Wait. Isn't that where he's from?" Chi-Chi frowned in confusion.

Bulma nodded. "His father, the King's name is Vegeta too and they are from the planet Vegeta-sei."

"That's kind of egocentric, don't you think?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"I guess. Modesty isn't really his strong suit. But oh my god, you should see him. He's not like anyone I've ever seen before. Even those supposed drop dead gorgeous Greek gods we had to study in school would hang their heads in shame standing next to him. He can be as egocentric as he wants."

"And he's hotter than his friend Kakarott out there?" Chi-Chi asked disbelievingly.

"Oh yea. In my opinion anyway."

"What does he look like?"

"Well, he's got like the same dark features. All Saiyans seem to; black unruly hair, thick eyebrows, dark eyes. Vegeta's hair kinda stands right up like a flame. And he has a really prominent widow's peak. His skin is a bit darker than Kakarott's, almost olive. His eyes are narrow but so intense. They're jet black and almost soul piercing."

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. Her friend was definitely hung up on the guy. She hadn't even been this excited about Yamcha when she had first met him and Yamcha had been the supposedly most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He turned out to be a complete loser.

"He's got kind of a small nose, but a really strong jaw line and perfect lips. He's usually scowling, but trust me, it adds to his appeal. His body too is unbelievable. You know how Yamcha was all built cause he spent so much time at the gym?"

Chi-Chi nodded. "Alright, I get it. Just saying he's tall, dark and handsome with great eyes hair and body would have sufficed."

"Well, no, He's not tall."

"He's short?" Chi-Chi asked, wrinkling her nose.

"No, I wouldn't say he's short. He's like the perfect height." Bulma frowned at her friend. "He's like my height, but looks taller cause his hair stands straight up."

"Awe no, he's short, Bulma!" Chi-Chi repeated.

"No he isn't. I don't look down at him. _Then_ he would be considered short." Bulma argued.

"Yeah, whatever. Kakarott is the perfect height."

"Okay, but you always liked taller guys. I've never really cared one way or another." Bulma shrugged. She'd have still fallen for Vegeta even if he had been shorter than her.

"Oh yea, remember that guy in like the seventh grade you went out with for like a month?" Chi-Chi giggled. "He was like half your size!"

"Ugh. You'll never let that one go." Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Nope! But anyway, so what happened next? He came back for you a few weeks later?"

"He did! It was just him and Kakarott. He paid Toma, and Toma was all upset. He came to tell me himself and thought I was going to be mad that he sold me. In actuality, I was thrilled. I'd been dreaming about it since he'd left."

"Bulma, you only met the guy once!"

"I know, but there was just something about him. I felt safe with him for some reason. I can't explain it. Anyway, Toma left and Vegeta walked into my room. I didn't know what to say to him and he walked right up to me and just kissed me like within an inch of my life. I have never been kissed like that before."

"Awe." Chi-Chi smiled. "I remember you saying Yamcha wasn't the greatest kisser but then decided you didn't really have anyone to compare him to either so you settled."

"Oh wow, did I settle." Bulma shook her head. She could feel herself blushing again. "So, we left here and he took me onto his ship with Kakarott and I didn't know what to think because I'm technically his slave now, right? So we get on his ship and he shows me _my_ room, which is across from his room. That was a bit awkward because he clearly didn't know what his intentions were for me either. He was just trying to be considerate, so I showered and he had said to come see him in his room when I was done. I did and we visited and then made out and we almost hooked up."

"Seriously? Bulma, you didn't even know the guy!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "You tortured Yamcha for what, three years? You kept saying 'Oh, I'm not ready' or whatever."

"I know, I know! You're one to talk! You said you'd be okay if Kakarott dragged you off somewhere and you only met him a few hours ago!" Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Umm yeah, but that's different! He seems like a sweet guy who wouldn't do that anyway and you said he was decent. You didn't have anyone to say this guy wasn't a creep. What if he'd bought you with plans on making you his sex slave and then what would you have done? I've heard about lots of that since I've been here." Chi-Chi said worriedly.

"I know. You're right. I just went with my gut. He told me that first night to not be afraid of him. If he was going to be a creep, I think he would have been a creep then. Anyway, so I told him to stop because things were moving too fast and I hadn't done it with anyone before and he stopped." Bulma explained. "Like, we were in his bed and things were getting hot and heavy and he stopped. He wasn't even mad! Like I never let things get that heated with Yamcha and he'd get mad all the time and make me feel bad. So after we calmed down, he admitted to me that he hasn't been with anyone before either and so he wrapped me in his arms and we both fell asleep. Until the mess that brought me here, I spent every night with him holding me since we left here. And he never once tried to take advantage of me or try to take things any further after that. I tell you, the guy's self control is out of this world."

"Must be." Chi-Chi shrugged. "So you teased and tormented him all this time?"

"No. He was just as bad! It was hard cause it was like we couldn't keep our hands off each other half the time, but just wait. I'll get to that because it concerns you if we get you out of here and you want to pursue Kakarott. There are some things you have to know about them and their rituals. It's very serious.

"So the next day, we ended up at a dead planet and I stored a bunch of metal with my capsules because Vegeta wanted a demonstration because that's one of the reasons he came back for me. He wanted me to help them. So I found out that the people that destroyed our planet, the Ice-jin, are enslaving Vegeta and his planet. They make them go out and destroy weaker planets and take slaves. I was really upset at first, but he and Kakarott explained that they don't have much choice in the matter and they are just biding their time until they can defeat them. So it took a week for us to make it back to his planet and I know this sounds crazy and I don't mean to sound cheesy, but we both fell in love in that week."

"One week." Chi-Chi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Eigh-yaa, Bulma."

"It's not as bad as it sounds. We didn't have anything else to do for a whole week but get to know each other really well. He explained a lot about his culture to me that I would need to know. And no, we didn't hook up. We made out a lot but that was it." Bulma sighed.

"Okay, so you left with this hot random Prince who also destroys planets like our home planet and wants your help in destroying another race and still fell in love with him after knowing all that in only a week." Chi-Chi said, unimpressed.

"I know how it sounds but trust me. He's not a monster or a tyrant. He can be a bit grouchy. But he means well. He's only looking to free his people from the Ice-jin. I asked him if I was helping one monster take down another and he said no. I believe him."

"Bulma, of course he's going to say No. He wants your help!"

"I know, but technically I was his slave so I wouldn't have a choice in the matter anyway. I believe him. Chi, he's been through so much. He's not much older than us. Lord Frieza, leader of the Ice-jin, beat him and tormented him almost his whole life. His Father sent him away when he was only ten years old to learn under Lord Frieza, the one who is directly responsible for destroying our planet. He was apparently known to be a horrible person and Vegeta's father knowingly sent him off and he was stuck there for seven years. The only company he had was Kakarott. They were both tormented and abused, but Vegeta took the brunt of it. He hates the Ice-jin for what they've done to him and what they've made him do. I don't even know the half of it. He won't talk about it. I only get bits and pieces from him, Kakarott and Kakarott's father, Bardock."

Chi-Chi nodded. She had to admit, she was a little concerned for her friend. Bulma was always far too trusting. She hoped that this Prince Vegeta could be trusted and wasn't just using her friend's genius mind and manipulating her kind hearted nature just for his own interests. It wouldn't be the first time she was being used and was too naïve to see it for herself. She had been hurt lots in the past by both guys and girlfriends. Chi-Chi had always suspected that Yamcha had stuck around in hopes that Bulma and he would one day get married and he could get a free pass on life. There was no other reason. Not to discredit her friend any, but they'd had nothing in common and she was never interested in sex, which Yamcha had been unfaithful to her repeatedly because she denied him and yet he always managed to worm his way back into her life. She had warned her friend of that possibility and she still either hadn't seen it or hadn't wanted to see it.

She was a bit worried now. What if she helped this Prince get everything he wanted? Then what would he do? Would they live happily ever after or would he cast her off once she out grew her usefulness? She really hoped he cared about her as much as she seemed to be over the moon about him. However, from talking to Kakarott, he seemed to genuinely care about Bulma and he held his Prince in very high esteem. She sensed that had he felt the Prince was just using her, he wouldn't have encouraged Bulma to contact him earlier on or teased her about their first meeting like he had.

"So, we made it to Vegeta-sei. It's a gorgeous warm planet, Chi!"

"It sounds beautiful. Kakarott was telling me a little bit about it. It doesn't sound like he can go back though." Chi-Chi nodded.

"Yea, we'll see. Maybe one day when Vegeta's father isn't King anymore." Bulma replied. "I feel so bad. Poor Kakarott. He's such a good friend to Vegeta."

"Yea, he was telling me some of it. He's very loyal to his Prince it seems. He mentioned briefly that you're his Prince's chosen and that he trusted him to look after you. He wouldn't give me any further details. Said I that to get it from you."

Bulma smiled. Kakarott was always so proper. "We made it back to Vegeta-sei and before we got there, Vegeta had warned me that he would be telling everyone that I was his Royal Concubine so that I would be left alone. It is apparently improper for women to work in the science department, so this was our cover story. He was very adamant that I stay away from his Father at all costs. He's apparently a creep where women are concerned. Vegeta was very afraid for me. I met his father briefly, who looks like a taller, crankier version of him with a goatee. He looked me over and whatnot and talked about me like I was livestock. I was pissed, but apparently passed the test. And Vegeta insisted I stay in his quarters and not where the other concubines and courtesans stay. I was also not to go anywhere in the palace without an escort like Kakarott, Bardock or himself. He was afraid it wasn't safe plus this girl his father wants him to marry was pissed that he came back with a concubine and was plotting to be rid of me."

Chi-Chi reached for more wine. This was so complicated. "Why would he bring you back if it wasn't safe for you to be among his own people? His own Father even?"

"I think he was hoping that his father would agree with him in his hope that I could help them advance some of their technology so they could one up these Ice-jin losers. I spoke to him about way more than just capsules. That metal we picked up? I gave him a few ideas in terms of weapons and armor. He even let me land his ship. I'm serious, Chi, he thinks I can help them and he was very excited about it. Even Bardock, Kakarott's father who is head of the science department was thrilled to work with me. He shared Vegeta's enthusiasm. I stumped him with some of the things I can do and he's the planet's genius." She said proudly.

"So that's why you left with Kakarott? Because his father didn't want you helping them out?" Chi-Chi asked, that made partial sense.

"No. It gets even more complicated than that." She shook her head. "So, I showed Bardock how to do the capsules and he was more than thrilled. He even gave me a bunch of blue prints on other projects that he hadn't had time to get to. I made some mods to some of them and some of their other stuff. We had to do it so the King wouldn't know because he wasn't happy with me helping at all. To him I was just a bed slave and of no use otherwise. I even came up with a training facility for Vegeta to help him get stronger. Oh my god, Chi-Chi! It's the best thing I have ever done-"

"Okay, okay, spare me the tech talk. What happened after that?" Chi-Chi interrupted her before she went off on a tangent about things she knew nothing about.

"Other than that, I was really happy with helping out and things with Vegeta and I were going really well. I was starting to wonder where things were going cause he never pressed the issue where being intimate was concerned. We just enjoyed each other's company and indulged in the odd make out session. One night, Vegeta finally told me that he wouldn't be intimate with me until he could take me as his mate, which in Saiyan culture means make me his wife."

"Oh wow." Chi-Chi exclaimed. This was getting more interesting by the minute. "Really?"

"Yeah!" Bulma nodded with a huge smile. "It was completely unexpected. That's kind of where things started to get complicated."

"You're a slave."

"Yea. But he never ever treated me like a slave." She said. "But in the eyes of everyone else, I was. And because he's the Prince, he'll be expected to take a Saiyan woman as his wife, no matter what. I'd never be accepted."

Chi-Chi nodded. "Well, that should have been a given, Bulma. It was the same on our planet for years. Prince's and princess's would have never been able to take slaves as spouses. There were still tons of people against mixed and same sex marriages."

"I know." She nodded, looking down at her hands. "I kept waiting for him to come back to his quarters one night and tell me had to go back on that. His father was on his case big time. I don't know how he knew, but he seemed to suspect all along that I was more to him than just a bed slave."

"Well, it's his son. He probably knows him better than anyone, I would think."

"Yea, but Vegeta is different around everyone else. It's like he puts up this wall and turns into this cold unfeeling person. It's almost frightening."

"That's not good, Bulma."

"It's not how it sounds though. What I've learned, and what you need to know, is this is an extremely powerful race, both physically and mentally. They despise weakness of any kind. There is no room for it in their culture. They are a warrior race that believes that only the strong have the right to exist." Bulma explained the best she could. "They even see emotional attachments as weaknesses. The rationale behind that is that if an enemy knew you meant something to that person, they could take you and use you against them. So, they are extremely private where their emotions are concerned; almost to the point where you would think them indifferent about their spouse. I asked Bardock one day about his mate. He simply smiled and said "she is everything a Saiyan woman ought to be." However, I've spent enough time with him to know that his mate means everything to him, but he would never say so in a million years. Not even to her. It's like an unspoken thing."

"That's terrible." Chi-Chi commented.

"I thought that at first too and Vegeta pissed me off a few times when I talked about our culture and loving your mate and such and he ridiculed me for having, what did he call it? Right, "these ridiculous notions of love." To them it's foolish. They don't use that word. It annoyed me at first, but the more you learn about them, the more you understand that though these people are rough and cold on the outside and that they will never show any form of affection in public, what they share with their mates in private is something beautiful. They mate for life. There is no divorce under any circumstances."

Chi-Chi nodded.

"When they decide to mate, or marry, that's it. There are no ceremonies or paperwork. I explained our traditions to Vegeta and he scoffed about signing treaties."

Chi-Chi giggled. "I could see that. I guess it is a treaty in a way. Well, what do they do?"

"They have what they call a bonding and mating ritual where you go and consummate your relationship, like we would do on a honeymoon." Bulma said with a blush. "They bite each other on the neck and forge a mental and emotional bond that cannot be broken until the other one passes. When one passes, usually the other one follows shortly after."

"Wow." Chi-Chi said. "That's deep."

"It is. Gives new meaning to till death do you part."

"It does. So, you really have to know what you're doing." Chi-Chi said.

"You do. There's no turning back. It can apparently have disastrous affects on the one rejected so it has to be consensual for both parties."

"I see. And this is what Vegeta wanted with you?"

"He did. And he was so sure of it, of us. He knew he would have to go against his father and everyone else. That's why he wanted to wait." Bulma said, looking down at her hands.

"Wait for what?"

"Wait until he was strong enough to take his father's throne. Strong enough that no one would dare question his choice."

"Like kill his father?"

"Yea. Apparently that's how it goes. The younger comes along one day and over throws the older. It's tradition. He wasn't ready to do that yet. Also, this Lord Frieza likes to torment him and he didn't want anyone to know. If Frieza found out that he felt anything more for me than ownership, he would use me to hurt him. So we decided to wait."

"Alright. Sounds fair. So, what happened?"

"Well, things didn't go sideways until Lord Frieza was going to be arriving to Vegeta-sei to visit for like a week. Vegeta was freaking out about it so we agreed that I would have to stay hidden that week. He didn't want Frieza seeing or even knowing about me." Bulma explained. "That had been the plan until Asia, the girl his father wants him to marry, heard that Vegeta had found me here performing and that since I'm apparently so talented that it was a great idea for me to perform at the evening banquets while Lord Frieza and his men were visiting. The King agreed, I think hoping that I would catch the interest of Lord Frieza and send me away with him. Frieza is apparently just as vile as Vegeta's father where women are concerned and knowing that I belong to Vegeta, well, of course he would want me. He apparently has a harem on his ship."

"That's terrible. So he sent you away with Kakarott to keep you safe?"

Bulma snickered. "He did, but just wait. I'm still getting to that!" She got up to grab another bottle of wine for them.

"This King sounds like a real douche. How did his son end up normal?" Chi-Chi said, unimpressed.

"I don't know. I mean, don't get me wrong, Vegeta is far from perfect. There are lots of issues there, but he's somehow come above all the bad things that have happened to him. I can't help but wonder what he would have been like if he hadn't had to go through those things. Apparently, I'm good for him."

"Right, but is he good for you?" Chi-Chi asked.

"He is. He's extremely supportive. He even started teaching me some self defense."

"Oh wow! I'm impressed! Getting you to want to learn anything in terms of self defense was like pulling teeth!" Chi-Chi snorted.

"Yea, it's not my thing, but he insisted. After everything that's happened, I didn't argue with him. We did that in the last few hours we spent together." Bulma said quietly. "He's really a good instructor. Very strict. You should train with him one day if we all are ever again. He makes it look so easy. Like a dance. He's very technical."

"I told you a million times, it's very similar. In terms of posture and memorizing moves like you would choreography." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes. "But no, you had no interest. You put your faith in your father's security guards and that dog."

"Hey, Cable was awesome!" Bulma objected. "He actually tore the nose of one of those scumbags before they blasted him. Poor guy. At least he didn't suffer. Any other situation, he would have come out on top. Who knows how to prepare for a super strong alien invasion? You were the most skilled person I know and here you are."

"Yeah. I did try." Chi-Chi nodded. "They killed everyone around me and I'm convinced they took me only out of pure amusement."

"Probably." Bulma shrugged. "Most of anyone I have had the experience of meeting hasn't been nice. They only want to break you. I'm glad you're alright."

"I'm glad you're alright too." Chi-Chi nodded, filling her glass up some more. "So, what happened when this Lord Frieza showed up?"

"Ugh. Everything fell apart after that. The night Vegeta told me I would have to perform and then told me the possibility that either Frieza or one of his men might take me away, I had a complete melt down in front of him."

"Well, that's understandable." Chi-Chi shrugged.

"Yea, but I wish I hadn't. He was so angry that there wasn't anything he could do to stop it and he was so concerned for my well being that my sitting there crying only made him feel worse. He was so adamant that Lord Frieza and the ones coming with him were so vile that I would be done for. He said that belonging to him put a huge target on my head." Bulma said. "He's so protective. That whole week he was almost unbearable to be around."

"Well, could you really blame him?"

"No. That night he told me about it, I told him I loved him." Bulma said quietly.

"And how did that go, being that his culture doesn't know how reciprocate?"

"He was more stunned than anything. He was like "How can you love someone that cannot protect you?" and then he kissed me. Like so passionately. He may never be able to say it, but I know he feels the same." Bulma said dreamily.

Chi-Chi smirked. "Wow."

"So after that I got ready to perform and we spent lots of time together just in case the worst should happen. I finished the designs on his training room and worked a bit on it with Bardock. Then the night Frieza arrived, Vegeta was called away. Frieza wanted him to return to his ship and promote him as his First Lieutenant."

"Oh wow!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

"Yea, but not so much. He never wants to go back on that ship. I don't know all of what happened to him, but it was pretty bad from what I gather. So his father pretty much gave him an ultimatum that either he marry Asia, the girl he picked out for him or Frieza's service." Bulma shrugged.

"Oh shit." Chi-Chi commented. "So, you didn't say, but how come he doesn't like this girl? What's she like?"

"She's absolutely gorgeous. Like really tall and fit looking. You can tell she's strong. She has really long black hair." Bulma explained. She wasn't sure how to describe Asia, really. "Apparently she's been chasing after Vegeta since he was released from Frieza's service two years ago. She told me he was her fiancée."

"Oh, really?" Chi-chi said, rolling her eyes.

"Yea. She ran into us like my second day there and made a point of informing me of that fact and that I'm so small and delicate that I couldn't be of any amusement for him or some crap and that if I wait long enough, he'll break me in half." Bulma sighed.

"What does your size have to do with anything?"

"Well, the Saiyans are a warrior race and they have super human strength. So, Vegeta has to be very careful not to accidentally injure or break me. He could very easily."

"Oh. Well, still. That's none of her business. If you're happy with him and he's happy with you then whatever."

"Yeah, but I'm still just a slave, remember? He's supposed to marry an appropriate Saiyan woman and that happens to be her. I was just the other woman in this whole thing, only I really wasn't because Vegeta never wanted her to begin with. It's been her and his father pushing for this the whole time. He says he'd rather die with no heir to his throne than be mated to her. He hates her."

"So why does his father insist on this? Especially if once they're mated and bonded it's a permanent arrangement? You said both parties had to be amenable to the union."

"I don't know. All I do know is that her father is one of the King's political advisors and is apparently very influential. Other than that, I don't know. He could probably choose another Saiyan girl, but his father is pushing Asia on him."

"That sucks."

"Yeah. But anyway, he just doesn't trust her. He says she's manipulative and conniving. I kinda feel bad for her because I think she really does care for him. She just annoys him because he keeps telling her to leave him alone and she just won't."

"He hasn't led her on?"

"No. I'm sure of it. Vegeta is very forward. Either he likes you or he doesn't. He wouldn't have led her on if he wasn't interested. Even Kakarott has no use for her and that he doesn't know why she keeps pursuing Vegeta." Bulma replied. "Still, I feel bad for her in a way because she saw me as trying to steal her man, when I really didn't."

"Well, no. If he never committed to her to begin with, then neither of you did anything wrong." Chi-Chi shrugged. "So why doesn't she just look for another guy who wants her?"

"Umm. If she marries him that would make her queen one day."

"I guess." Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Chicks like that bug me."

"Yeah, so Vegeta and I discussed different options between just leaving, or sending me to stay with Bardock for a while until he returned from Frieza's service because he'd rather do that than be with Asia and he didn't want to bring me on Frieza's ship. So, we decided we had a few days to figure it out. I performed that night-"

"What did you perform?" Chi-Chi asked excitedly. She knew how talented her friend was.

""I did Christina Aguillera the first night. I even convinced Vegeta grab a chair and I sang Nasty Naughty Boy and gave him a lap dance in front of everyone. Ha haa!" Bulma giggled.

"You didn't!"

"Yea. I still can't believe he agreed to it, but he did. It was a hit. Everyone loved it! Asia was super pissed!" Bulma said excitedly at the memory.

"I'll bet it was. You're such a brat."

"I know. It was so worth it. So it went good and then Vegeta's father barged in on me when I was changing for the next song. He said that if I didn't put on a more sexy show, he'd make sure I wouldn't get sent away with Lord Frieza."

"Eewe." Chi-Chi wrinkled her nose. "So, what did you do?"

"Well, before I took the stage, Vegeta was adamant that I not be too promiscuous so I kinda kept it, you know a safe medium between sexy and aloof. It was fun and everyone else seemed to like it and then the King says to vamp it up. So I did and he was happy with it only then Vegeta was pissed."

"Well, if he's trying to keep you safe from these losers, of course he'd be pissed. But this wasn't really your fault." Chi-Chi said, opening up a bag of munchies on the bed that neither one of them had started yet.

"Yeah. He was so upset with me; he wouldn't even talk to me. I had to beg him to say something."

"So, what did he say?"

"He thought I did it on purpose. He wanted to know if I was determined to either torment him when I knew we had to wait for our relationship to progress or if I was determined to be dragged away by Frieza or one of his men." Bulma sighed sadly, remembering how angry he had been that night with her.

"Awe! Poor guy! I could see how he might have thought that." Chi-Chi shrugged. She was really intrigued by this Prince Vegeta. From what Bilma was telling her he really did care about her. She felt bad for immediately being suspicious. The guy seemed to really have her best interests at heart. He must have, she was here and he wasn't.

"Yeah. Well, I told him what had happened and he understood but was then upset that he hadn't protected me as well as he should have. So, that night he decided that the only way to be able to protect me would be to forge a bond and then that way he would know what was going on with me even if he wasn't with me."

"Really? You mean the whole bonding and mating thing you just told me about?"

Bulma nodded with a smile.

"But I thought he wanted to wait till he could kick his father's ass?"

"He did, but he decided to do this. Take me as his mate and worry about the details later. We would still have a few days to decide what to do. So, he didn't tell me any of this though. He had just said to be ready to go after the evening's performance. It went well, I sang Don't Cha because Asia was hovering all over him."

Chi-Chi giggled and shook her head at her friend.

"Then when I went back to change, Vegeta was already waiting for me and wanted to leave right then because Frieza wanted to meet me. I still had like three songs to do so I talked him into letting me meet him and then get out so that it wouldn't be so obvious that we left."

"Uh ohh."

"Yeah. I should have listened to Vegeta." Bulma said shaking her head, still kicking herself for not listening to him. "We went to meet Lord Frieza and it turns out that his first Lieutenant, Zarbon was the same guy who took me from my home. He had wanted me for himself, if you know what I mean?"

Chi-Chi frowned and nodded.

"Yeah. I told Vegeta about it. It turns out he tormented Vegeta badly when he was in Frieza's service. He hated him."

"What happened, Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

"I was alright. He had roughed me up a bit but before anything happened he got called away and I took my chance and escaped his room and hid on the ship with the other female slaves and ended up at the auction like everyone else and then was sent here."

Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her friend. "You sure? You can tell me."

"I swear! Nothing happened. He gave me a black eye but that was it. I got away."

"Alright." Chi-Chi nodded.

"So, then Zarbon, Frieza's First Lieutenant, started whining about how he should get to spend a night with me since it was really he who saved me from my planets destruction by taking me and how he had been so upset I had gone missing. Frieza and the King decided that I had to give him a private dance as a sign of gratitude."

"What?"

"Yeah, I don't know what happened before I got there. Vegeta had warned me that he was there and that he had wanted a full night with me, which he forbid."

"Well, yeah! I would hope so!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "I mean, I get that no one was allowed to know that he cared about you, but you were still his property. Technically. Wouldn't he have a say on that?"

"Normally, I think so. But here, he didn't really have a leg to stand on. His father had granted them all access to any one of his personal concubines. There's one strike. Why can't Vegeta just give up his concubine for one evening? And more than that, Zarbon was his superior. It should have been a given. Plus on top of that, his father wanted me out of the picture and Frieza and Zarbon like to torment him. Vegeta had told me that he thought Frieza had figured out that I was more to him than just a bed slave."

"Oye ve." Chi-Chi replied. "So did you go through with it?"

"Yeah. I did." Bulma nodded. "I didn't have a choice! Vegeta came with me, thank God! The new plan was for us to just leave right after I was done. He waited just outside the room. And when I started, he was at the door keeping an eye on things."

"Eewe! So you just stripped for this creep?" Chi-Chi exclaimed, wrinkling her nose. "And Vegeta didn't have a fit?"

"Well, I didn't really strip. Jut down to my bra and panties."

"You weren't terrified?"

"I was! But I also knew Vegeta was right there just in case things got out of hand. I knew he wouldn't let anything happen to me."

"Ugh. Still! So what did you do?"

"I plugged my ipod in, chose a song and danced for him. It went well until he'd had enough and decided to pounce on me and that's when Vegeta stepped in."

"Good! Oh, Bulma. I can't believe you did that!" Chi-Chi shook her head again. "And Vegeta kicked his ass?"

Bulma nodded. "He did a whole lot more than just kick his ass, Chi. He beat him to death."

"Oh my god!"

"Yeah. Like completely lost it and beat him almost unrecognizable till he was dead."

"Wow. What a mess." Chu-Chi shook her head.

"You have no idea. So, in the panic, we just left."

"Left? Left where?"

"The palace. Oh, and in said panic, I forgot to grab my ipod. It's probably still in that room."

"Okay. I can see how you could forget it. But still! What a bummer!"

"I know, I didn't even realize till this afternoon. So, he took me to this private, isolated island that he bought a while back and he said no one knows about it. It took us like an hour to get there. And I was still pretty shaken up."

"Well, of course!"

"I think he thought I would be afraid of him and not want to be with him anymore because he went into this apology about how he'd wished he'd have asked me to leave before he had done that because he didn't want me to ever see him that way." Bulma said.

"I could understand that, but at the same time, he was only focused on protecting you." Chi-Chi nodded. "What a pig! He knew you were off limits and still tried to take what he had no right to. Sounds like he got what he deserved."

"I know. I told him that. So after that, he asked me if I wanted to be his mate. He even gave me this ring that he picked out all on his own." Bulma said, taking off her ring and handing it to Chi-Chi.

"I noticed it earlier and I was wondering what the deal was; if it was an engagement ring or what?" Chi-Chi said, looking at it. "It's beautiful! He's got great taste! I'm jealous!"

"Thanks. Yea, we had talked before about Earth wedding customs and he had remembered that I had said we exchange rings, so he thought that since I'll be following his traditions and rituals, he wanted to do one of mine."

"That's so sweet!" Chi-Chi gushed, handing the ring back to Bulma.

"I know! I couldn't believe it!" Bulma said, blushing. "It was cute because I was so excited I started to cry and he got all upset and thought I didn't like the ring. He was like "We can get a different one". He didn't understand why I was crying."

"Poor guy! Way to go, Bulma!" Chi-Chi rolled her eyes.

"Hey! I was over come and I certainly wasn't expecting that!" Bulma defended herself.

"So, then what?"

"We kissed on the beach and he wanted to exchange vows like we do here. He said so that it would be official in my culture as well as in his. We then made our own vows then and there on the beach under the stars and kissed." Bulma said. "It was so beautiful there! Like there's a million more stars visible there than back home! There was no one there, just us and tons of trees. It was so peaceful and romantic."

"Awe." Chi-Chi said, smiling at her friend.

"Yeah, so he carried me into this small house that's hidden behind all the trees. It's just small and simple. Kinda like a little cabin. It's perfect; nothing like the Palace, which is beautiful but this was nice and homey and private. I can see why he bought it as a getaway place."

"Well, he's probably under a lot of stress and needs some place to just chill and be left alone." Chi-Chi nodded.

"Yeah, the poor guy never gets a moments peace." Bulma nodded.

"So, then what?"

Bulma smiled and looked down at her hands, blushing profusely. "We finally consummated our relationship."

"That's it?"

Bulma nodded.

"Come on! I want details, B!" Chi-Chi whined. "Was it good?"

Bulma nodded again. "Oh yeah, it was very good."

"Did it hurt?"

Bulma frowned at her friend. "Well, yeah. Of course! You should know that!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Chi-Chi objected.

"You. You've been there. Haven't you?"

"What? No!"

"Yeah, I thought you and that Chan guy at your gym that you dated for like a year. I was under the impression you guys. You know?"

"What! No!" Chi-Chi said, her face burning from embarrassment. "We fooled around but never actually took the plunge."

"Oh, I thought you guys had." Bulma said with a confused frown.

"Yea, sure! Daddy would have gone completely ballistic!" Chi-Chi said. Her father had been extremely over protective of his daughter.

Bulma laughed. "Okay. Still, you've done more than I had at that point."

"Hmph. Point taken." Chi-Chi said, grabbing another bag of munchies. "I still want details though! You owe me!"

"Ugh, fine." Bulma sighed awkwardly. "He was very considerate and careful about it."

"You weren't scared?"

"I was, but I trusted him. If I hadn't wanted to, he would have still not done anything. It was my choice. He was so sweet about it. Like, I hope you get a chance to meet him. He comes off like an arrogant ass but he's so different in private. He's so gentle and he was so afraid of hurting me that if I had said stop at any point, he would have. How many guys would do that?"

"Not many." Chi-Chi said.

"I know! And he's like this big strong warrior guy. You wouldn't think he'd be like that, but he is. He was so tender and careful." Bulma said. "And then he bit me and it brought everything to a whole different level."

"What happened when he did that? That's so weird!"

"It is, and I wasn't sure about it at first, but if it's one of his customs then whatever, I didn't have a problem going through with it." Bulma shrugged.

"Can I see it?"

"Sure," Bulma replied, pulling the neckline of her shirt to the side, exposing the healed wound on her neck.

"Huh. Does it hurt?"

"No. It's tender, but it doesn't hurt. It did when he bit me. He bit me a couple of times." Bulma said, feeling her cheeks go red again.

"He bit you a couple of times? Like every time you guys…?"

"Yeah. In the same spot." Bulma nodded.

"So how many times did you guys?"

"Chi, really?" Bulma asked uncomfortably.

"Hey! You said you'd tell me details and so far I've been really let down!" Chi-Chi teased. "I expect details!"

Bulma sighed. "We made love a few times that night."

"Like twice?"

"No, like four times and then once the next day before we left the island." She said awkwardly.

"Oh my god, Bulma! Five times? Who is this guy?" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

Bulma smirked. "He's got a lot of stamina."

"Sounds like it. Wow."

"Yeah, it was an incredible night. That's for sure. Like he woke me up a few times and I woke him up once."

"You weren't sore?"

"I was a little, but trust me, he more than made up for it and I was able to overlook it." She said shyly.

"So what happened when he bit you, exactly? You bonded?"

"Yeah, I don't really understand how it works, but it opened up like a mental link between us. I don't know how to explain it better than that, but he showed me everything he felt for me through this link. Like, Vegeta isn't good at expressing himself and there were times I wondered if he really did care for me as much as I did for him. Honestly, with the bond, he showed me everything he was unable to say to me. It was overwhelming. Like I can truthfully say he loves me and yet the depth of the feelings I picked up from him make the word Love seem like nothing. I understand now why they laugh at it. What they feel goes way beyond that. It's so intense."

"Wow." Chi-Chi murmured.

"Yea, it was amazing. He will never tell me he loves me, but he doesn't have to either. I know it from the bond. It made a lot of things make sense. So then I sent to him everything I felt for him and he saw it the same as I did when he sent his thoughts to me. We can speak to each other through the mind link too; we are able to communicate thoughts and feelings. It was kinda hard at first, but Vegeta says it's something that becomes easier with time. I also felt it get stronger every time we made love."

"That's crazy!" Chi-Chi commented.

"It is, but now that I've experienced it, I don't know how people don't have it. It's such an advantage. Vegeta can check up on me whenever he wants and he'll know if I'm safe or in distress. I will eventually be able to do the same. It's been harder for me since I'm not a Saiyan, but I'll figure it out."

"So, he knows you're here safe with Kakarott?"

"No." Bulma groaned, rolling her eyes. "He thinks we're dead. I did try to talk to him today and it was hard, but I eventually got through to him only to have him dismiss me because he thinks I'm dead and that he's going crazy."

"Oh no. Wait, why does he think you're dead?"

"Well, we left the island like in the afternoon some time." Bulma said. "We decided to leave. So the plan was to just get on his ship and get off the planet, but then he decided he wanted to get the plans and progress from the Gravity room to take with us so I could finish it on our travels and he could train and we wouldn't come back until he was strong enough to beat everyone."

"Sounds like a good idea. Then you guys could make good on some more alone time." Chi-Chi said with a wink. "So, what went wrong?"

"Well, we got back and he took me to his personal quarters and Kakarott was there waiting for us. He said the King and Lord Frieza were pissed at the death of Zarbon and that they blamed me for Vegeta's actions so they were looking to get rid of me. So he had taken the liberty of getting Vegeta's ship ready the night before so we could leave immediately. He was just waiting for us to come back. So Vegeta sent me to the ship with Kakarott and went to get the Gravity Room stuff, even though I begged him not to.

"He told me it would be fine, that he'd be quick and he would let me know through the bond if anything went wrong but if he wasn't there in fifteen minutes to leave. He said something to Kakarott that I didn't hear, but I'm assuming since he's not here that the instructions were to get me off the planet no matter what."

"Oh no. So, what happened to him that he didn't make it? Do you know?"

"Not really. Kakarott and I made it to the ship and were waiting for him and then he told me through the bond that he had the Gravity room stuff and that he was almost to the ship and everything was going as planned but cut me off from knowing anything else through the bond. I heard from him a few minutes later telling me to leave without him because he was discovered by his father and Lord Frieza. I argued with him a bit but he got mad and insisted I go and then put up another mental wall so I couldn't see what was going on.

"I told Kakarott that he had been caught and I wanted to go help him, which he refused. He said Vegeta's orders were to keep me safe at all costs and he had to follow that even if it meant abandoning his Prince. The last thing I remember is I turning to leave anyway to try and help Vegeta and then I woke up in a space pod this morning with Kakarott. He said he'd knocked me out to prevent me from leaving."

Chi-Chi nodded.

"I can't believe he did that!"

"Bulma, that must have been very hard for him to do, to leave his Prince behind like that. Don't be angry with him. Had he let you leave and gone against his orders, who knows what would have happened. It wasn't what Vegeta wanted."

"I know, but now Vegeta thinks we're dead. Frieza beat him up and blew up our ship. The only reason we survived was because Bardock saw the whole thing unfolding and warned Kakarott. He crammed us both in an escape pod and ejected it before the ship was blown. Because I was knocked out cold, Vegeta wouldn't be able to sense me and on top of that, the pod put both Kakarott and I in a coma until just before we landed here. So, it's been a week."

"No wonder. If he tried and couldn't get through. Oh wow, poor guy! He is probably just devastated and no wonder he thinks he's going crazy if you contacted him just today. My god, what he must be going through."

"I know." Bulma said and she started to cry. "He probably thinks our bond didn't take at all and the fact that he's only hearing me now, he thinks he's having a mental break down. Apparently when a bonded mate dies, the other follow not long after. He even said that today that he would be joining me soon after he destroys everyone who had a hand in my death. He thinks he failed me."

"Awe." Chi-Chi said, going over and hugging her friend.

"He did speak to me a bit but I think only because I insisted on it. I could tell he was only humoring me like if he acknowledged me, I'd go away."

"Like confronting a spirit?"

"I think so. Because before he cut me off of the link he'd said that he wouldn't allow me to haunt him anymore and he had humored me long enough." She said, sniffling.

"What else did he say?" Chi-Chi asked, pouring herself another glass of wine.

"Not a lot. Only that he's back on Frieza's ship. He had no choice but to go and that he failed me. And something about meditating and severing the remains of our bond that way."

"Oh no." Chi-Chi shook her head.

"I know! He's such a stubborn asshole!"

Chi-Chi smirked. "Oh, that doesn't sound at all like anyone we know."

"It isn't funny, Chi." Bulma sniffled, crying harder.

"I know it isn't, but you have to appreciate that here's someone just as hardnosed and stubborn as you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, look at the facts. You're a scientist. Look at it from his point of view. If the roles were reversed, knowing what you know about this bond and then that he saw you get blown up and then couldn't contact you for a week, if you suddenly started hearing his voice, wouldn't you think you were a bit nuts too?" Chi-Chi reasoned. "You're all about the facts and being logical. He sounds like a very practical man. Given the amount of stress and turmoil he's been under, can you really blame him? He probably does think he's nuts! And what do you know about their beliefs after death?"

"Not a lot. He said something about another dimension and afterlife."

"Okay, so he probably does think you're haunting him from the afterlife." Chi-Chi said.

"I know, but I tried so hard to tell him that Kakarott and I were fine."

"And he didn't believe you. I'm serious, if the roles were reversed, you'd be doing the same thing to him."

"I don't think so." Bulma said, shaking her head.

"Oh, I do." Chi-Chi argued. "Anyway, is there any other way of contacting him?"

"No, not without being discovered. Kakarott thinks that it's best if everyone thinks we're dead."

"Is there a way for you to track him down and accidentally on purpose run into him?"

"Maybe. I don't know yet. I still have to figure that out. It's my only hope at this point."

"Alright."

"In the mean time, I guess I can keep trying. I just don't want to make him angry."

"True, but he can't ignore you forever."

"He can if he keeps that mental wall up."

"As you say, stubborn ass." Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "Well, don't quit trying and in the mean time, just try and find a way to figure out where they're going and find a way to get to him that way. He probably has to see you to believe it."

Bulma nodded. "I would have to get him alone though. Frieza and a bunch of his men know what I look like."

"Alright, so go in disguise." Chi-Chi shrugged.

"He wouldn't give me a second look if I'm in disguise." Bulma said dejectedly.

"Well, if that's the case, then you'll have to come up with something witty to say to him to catch his attention, something that you two shared that only you would know. He can't deny or ignore that."

"Yeah, I'll have to think of something." Bulma nodded. "I miss him."

"I'm sure you do." Chi-Chi said, hugging her friend again. "It sounds like you really did find something with this guy. I'm sorry it ended up this way."

"He's like everything I ever wanted."

"I thought Yamcha was everything you wanted?" Chi-Chi teased, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

"Oh, god no." Bulma rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I just put up with him. I knew he was wrong for me. I think that's why I never slept with him. But I didn't know how to break it off from him either. We did have our good times and I enjoyed his company."

"Yeah, when he wasn't flirting with anything in a skirt." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah. I was dumb to put up with him. I just immersed myself in my work at the lab, hoping things would get better and clinging onto the few good times we had in the beginning. I think I figured that it was so nice at the beginning that it could go back to that," She said. "Now that I met Vegeta, I can't believe I put up with him at all. Vegeta's so much more than Yamcha could have ever been. He treats me so well. He's such a gentleman."

"Sounds like you found your prince."

"I guess I did." Bulma grinned. "Too bad I had to leave him because the rest of a universe is run by giant douche bags."

"You'll get him back." Chi-Chi said confidently.

"I hope so." Bulma yawned.

"Hey, do you know what happened to Yamcha?" Chi-Chi asked.

"No. I tried calling his cell when everything blew up but he never answered." Bulma said, shaking her head. "So I have no idea."

Chi-Chi shrugged. "Oh well. Now you don't have to worry about breaking up with him at least."

"That's so mean, Chi!"

"I know, but it's true!" Chi-Chi shrugged again. She had never had any use for Yamcha. She didn't wish him dead, but she was glad he was permanently out of her friend's life.

Bulma shook her head and yawned again. "I guess."

"Ready for bed?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Yeah. That's about it for what happened with me. Anything interesting with you?"

"No. I pretty much told you everything. No super hot Prince's came to rescue and fall in love with me. The most exciting thing that happened to me was running into you."

"Awe. I'm glad nothing bad happened to you. Tomorrow, I'll see to getting you out of here. You can come with us."

"Oh, I hope so Bulma!" Chi-Chi said.

"Me too. I need to sleep though. Want to stay here?"

"Sure! I'll have to leave early to start work, but I can stay."

"Thanks." Bulma smiled and started getting ready for bed. Most of her comfy clothes were gone, but she managed to find some loose pants earlier and leave them out.

The two girls turned off the lights and settled into the big bed.

"It'll be fine, Bulma." Chi-Chi said. "You'll find him. It just might take you a little while is all."

"Thanks, Chi."

_**The next morning…** _

Bulma woke up by herself. Chi-Chi had left to go work in the kitchen already. She changed her clothes and made her way out to the lounge. Kakarott was already there eating.

"Hey, Bulma!" he greeted. "Would you like some breakfast? I saved this plate for you."

"Thanks, but I'm okay for now." She shook her head, taking a seat next to him.

"You sure? Your friend made it all. It's so good!"

Bulma smiled. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Yeah, I slept great!" Kakarott said, grabbing the plate he had saved for Bulma. "Did you try to talk to Vegeta again?"

"No. He's still got the wall up. I can sense him. He's annoyed. Aside from that, I don't know anything."

"Vegeta's always annoyed." Kakarott shrugged. "So, I wouldn't be too worried."

Bulma smirked. That was true. She figured she'd try again later.

"When I'm done, I have to go meet that guy about his ship. Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure. Maybe I can fix it even? Depending on what's wrong with it." Bulma shrugged.

Kakarott finished his meal and the two left the tavern.

Krillin happened to be waiting not far from the tavern, where they had run into him yesterday.

"Hey, guys!" He greeted.

"Hi!" Kakarott replied. "You still want to help us out?"

"If you guys are able to help me out, yeah!" Krillin said.

"Great! Can I look at what needs to be done? I built and designed ships on my planet. Maybe I can fix the problem and save us all some money?" Bulma said, looking down at the short little man. She recalled Chi-Chi assuming Vegeta was short. Wait till she met this guy!

"Oh sweet! That would be even better!" Krillin exclaimed. "You were a mechanic?"

"Umm, of sorts. My father ran a company and I helped invent and build things for him. I know a little bit about everything."

"She knows how to fly." Kakarott said.

"Well, come along! Let's see if you can." Krillin said excitedly.

They made it to where his ship was and he showed them both the outside and inside and what needed to be done. Bulma smirked. It was a piece of cake! All she needed to do was take apart two out of the four engine thrusters and replace them with the new ones that had already been bought. It would take her about a day, but she knew she could do it.

She started on it then. Krillin had enough tools that she could manage with it. They chatted with him and got to know him a bit better. She learned that he was from Earth too. He was a monk. There was apparently some guy who disliked the Ice-Jin and the slave trade. He bought a bunch of slaves from the auctions and brought them to a planet and they all lived free there. Apparently, there were tons of species there from purged planets. More recently, he had been acquiring human slaves.

Bulma and Kakarott decided that maybe this was where they should go. It would be the perfect place to hide. He had never heard of it. They agreed to come back with him and if it was alright with their leader, stay. Krillin wasn't sure how Kakarott would be received, being that he was a Saiyan, but said he would put in a good word for him.

Bulma finished her work for the day. She figured she had maybe a few more hours of work to be done and then they would be able to head out as early as tomorrow.

Bulma and Kakarott parted ways with Krillin and headed back to the Tavern.

Luckily, Toma was helping a few people in the lounge already. Bulma really wanted to talk to him about bringing Chi-Chi with them.

"Hi, Toma." Bulma greeted as she saw him approaching their table.

"Hello. How is everything today?"

"Great! Thank you so much for allowing us to stay here!" Bulma said.

"You are welcome any time." Toma nodded. "Did you guys find a ship?"

"We did." Bulma nodded. "We should be able to leave tomorrow if everything goes to plan."

"Oh good!" Toma nodded. "Not that I'm anxious to see you leave."

"No, I know. Thanks." Bulma said. "Hey, so I was wondering, and I know this is a lot to ask, but can you sell Chi-Chi to us?"

"Chi-Chi?"

"Yeah. She wouldn't be like our slave or anything. It's just, she's the only one that I have run into that I know, and it would mean so much to me if I could take her with me."

Toma considered it for a moment. "Well, I didn't pay that much for her, and she has caused me nothing but grief both on stage and in the kitchen. I get nothing but complaints."

"We can pay you whatever you paid for her." Bulma said.

Toma shrugged. "Take her."

"No, we can pay, Toma."

"No, just take her. She's caused me enough trouble as it is. You aren't taking her for slave purposes. Just take her and I'll be happy."

"Really? You're sure, Toma?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Oh, thank you!" Bulma exclaimed, throwing her arms around the older tavern owner. "Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"You're welcome. You're doing me a favor by taking her. I won't get my money back selling her anyway, no with that mouth and foul temper of hers."

"Thank you!" Bulma said again. "We will be gone sometime tomorrow, hopefully."

"No rush." Toma said, getting up. "I will let her know."

"Alright. Thank you so much, Toma!"

The tavern manager smiled and left.

"How about that?" Bulma said to Kakarott.

"That's great!" he nodded. "I kinda like her."

Bulma smirked. "Well, that's good. She kinda likes you too."

"Really?" He beamed.

"Really, really." Bulma nodded. "She can be a bit forward, but trust me, she's a really good girl and means well."

Kakarott nodded. "I guess I'll get a chance to know her now that she's coming with us, huh?"

"You sure do. And if you decide she's not right for you, then that's okay too." Bulma said. "Don't feel pressured."

"Oh, I don't." Kakarott shrugged.

"Bulma!" Chi-Chi came running through the lounge up to her friend. "Thank you so much! Oh my god! I get to come with you!"

"I know!" Bulma laughed, hugging her friend.

"I can't believe it! All he asked was that I finish my shift here today and then I'm free to go!"

"Good! We are hopefully leaving tomorrow." Kakarott said.

"You guys found a ship?"

"We did. We are going along with another Earthling." Kakarott said.

"Anyone we know, Bulma?"

"No." Bulma shook her head. "But he knows a place where there are quite a few humans that have been bought and brought there, they all just live there I guess. Maybe there's others we do know there."

"That would be nice. Either way, I'm just glad to get out of here and be with you." Chi-Chi said. "Okay, I have to go back and finish my shift. Want anything?"

"Can I have that noodles and meat dish?" Kakarott asked.

"Of course." Chi-Chi nodded. "Anything for you, Bulma?"

"Just something simple. I'm not that hungry today."

"Sure thing! I'll come to your room when I'm done tonight."

"Perfect! See you then!" Bulma nodded.

They both watched Chi-Chi skip out of the lounge. It had been a very productive day today for all of them!

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit this chapter is a bit off topic, but I had to come up with something for Bulma and everyone to be up to for the next few months. I gave Bulma something to do that is very close to my heart and something I am very passionate about and just came up with it for this story the other day because I was struggling. My hubby of all people actually unknowingly helped this idea along. I like what I've done, but that's me. I hope you all enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 19** _

Bulma, Chi-Chi and Kakarott finally landed on this mysterious planet the little bald monk had told them about. It had taken them a month to reach it. The trip there hadn't been too bad. Chi-Chi and Kakarott seemed to really hit it off. Bulma had keep fending off Krillin's advancements. It had seemed that the little monk had developed a crush on Bulma and no matter how polite she had tried to be so as not to offend him, he didn't seem to get it that she wasn't interested. It brought Chi-Chi much amusement, much to Bulma's frustration. Thankfully, the trip went by quickly and they finally made it.

It was very beautiful and reminded Bulma and Chi-Chi of Earth, only it was much more humid and warm. Krillin had been right, there were many humans there. Most of them, they didn't know.

A few weeks after they had landed and the three settled into their new home, Bulma started training with both Kakarott and Chi-Chi. She had promised Vegeta she would learn to take care of herself, so as much as she hated training, she continued on with it anyway. She even met a man named Tien one day at the market. They had gotten talking and he agreed to teach her the rules and techniques of sword play. This piqued Bulma's interest much more than hand to hand combat. She felt that this would give her more of an advantage. Nevertheless, she trained early in the mornings with Kakarott and Chi-Chi and in the afternoon for an hour with Tien, who lived just down the road from them.

This planet didn't have much in terms of technological advancement and this drove Bulma crazy. The only tools she had were the ones found on Krillin's ship. She was hard pressed to even find the proper materials she needed to make capsules at first. Kakarott and Krillin would leave the planet every few weeks to find the materials and tools Bulma needed to make capsules and to start on the Gravity Room. In the mean time, Bulma had redone her plans for the Gravity Room, continued to train with Chi-Chi, Kakarott and Tien and had even found two dogs to train in her spare time.

Bulma had been out walking and browsing through the market for the afternoon after her training session with Tien. Once she was done all that, there really wasn't much for her to do. The boredom was really beginning to set in after a few weeks. She had noticed someone walking a beautiful Doberman puppy and had to ask where they had gotten it. Apparently, there was a woman there who lived a fair distance away from them who bred dogs. She was a short blonde woman who simply called herself Eighteen. She was apparently from Earth as well. This person wasn't sure how, but the woman had been able to bring a few breeds of dogs with her somehow.

The next day Bulma decided to go and find this lady with the directions that had been given to her. She made it there in a small, slow hover car she borrowed. That had been another order of business once she had her full tool kit built up. She had to upgrade these vehicles!

Bulma got out once she made it and knocked on the door. She was greeted by loud barking and a bored-looking petite young blonde woman, Bulma assumed was around the same age as her. The woman shushed the dogs and they all quieted down.

"Yes?" The Blonde woman asked skeptically.

"Hi. My name is Bulma Briefs, and someone gave me your address. They said you breed dogs? I wanted to see what you have and would really like one, if that's alright?"

"Hmmn. I'm Eighteen. Come in." The woman said, stepping aside. "Do not worry, they're all friendly."

Bulma smiled as she was greeted by several large-breed working class dogs. "They're beautiful."

"Thank you." Eighteen replied. "What is it you are looking for?"

"Well, I am originally from Earth. On my home, I had a protection dog. He was a Rottweiler named Cable." Bulma explained. "I saw someone yesterday with a Doberman and they had said they'd gotten it from you. It was beautiful. I was hoping to get a protection dog."

"Do you know how to train them?"

"I do, actually. I helped the trainer train my Rottweiler. Since he was to be mine, I had to be a part of that process." Bulma nodded, petting a large German Shepherd. "How many different types of dogs do you have?"

"A few. I only have large dogs."

"How did you get to bring them with you?" Bulma asked.

"I was a breeder. Those creeps who came to Earth were impressed with them and made a deal with me. My life for my dogs. I was given fifteen minutes to choose my best." She shrugged, petting a smaller Shepherd type dog. "I chose a male and female of my favorite for breeding. So, I have with me a breeding pair of Dobermans and a pair of German Shepherds. This, here next to me is Aro, my Belgian Malinois. I had brought a female, but lost her during the trip here."

"He's gorgeous." Bulma commented. "How old is he?"

"He's three, and trained in both personal protection and property surveillance. He was fully titled back home. It's a shame I can't breed him now that I don't have a female." Eighteen said, looking sadly at the dog. "If it is a protection dog you are looking for, I would allow you to take him."

"Really?" Bulma asked in shock.

"Yeah, there's no point in me hanging onto him. If you know how to train, then he won't be bored. He has to have a job. If you are looking for a protection dog for yourself, that will be his job and he'll be very happy." Eighteen said. "Plus, my German Shepherd female is due any day now. I will be too busy with puppies again to give him much attention. He's been really pent up."

Bulma looked at the medium-sized short haired Belgian Shepherd called the Malinois. She was familiar with them. There had been three types of Belgian Shepherds; two long haired versions called the Tervurn and Groendale and then the short haired version called the Malinios. Her father had wanted one, but the waiting list had been too long so he had gone with the Rottweiler.

She kneeled down and put her hand out to him, which he eagerly walked up to her. He sniffed her hand and sat next to her. "He's gorgeous."

"Thank you." Eighteen commented proudly. "I also have one more puppy left from a litter of Dobermans that were born a few days after I ended up here."

"Really? I would love one!" Bulma gushed. "I always wanted a Doberman."

"I'll go get him." she said, leaving. Bulma pulled out her wallet. She hoped she had enough. She could tell all of these dogs were well bred.

"Here he is." Eighteen said, placing a gangly Doberman puppy on the floor.

"Awe!" Bulma exclaimed. "He's adorable! How old is he?"

"He's 18 weeks." Eighteen said, crossing her arms and looking at him. "I haven't had time to do anything with him other than house training; but he's extremely intelligent and has got very high drive. That's why he's still here. If you think you can handle it, he will make an amazing protection dog."

"That's perfect! I don't have a lot to do, so I have lots of time for both of them." Bulma nodded, picking up the puppy with the long legs. His ears had been cropped already and he looked absolutely regal. "How much do you want for the two of them?"

"You can take Aro. He really likes you. That doesn't happen often." Eighteen said, looking down at the Malinios, who was sitting next to Bulma. "I'm just glad to have a good home for him. As for the Doberman, I normally sell them for $1000 but I'll let him go for $700."

"Are you sure?" Bulma asked. "I can pay $1000."

"I'm sure. You'll have your work cut out for you with him. He should have been started with training ten weeks ago." Eighteen shrugged. "He will be great once he's trained. He has amazing potential but it'll be a challenge for the first while because he's behind."

"No problem." Bulma nodded. "Like I said, I have lots of spare time and nothing else to do. I'll whip him into shape!"

"Good! No one else has wanted him once I say he's high drive. I'm glad you want him and will be able to nurture that. To not would be such a waste."

"So, how did you get them all here?" Bulma asked.

"Apparently their leader wasn't impressed and decided he had no use for them so I was sent away to an auction with them. A guy bought me and my dogs. He said I could live here and continue breeding. He seems to like buying slaves and lets us live here peacefully. Many of us are trying to rebuild something with a few of the other races here." Eighteen explained. "I hope he finds more dogs. Once my dogs are too old, I won't be able to breed anymore. I can't breed any I produce either because then they would be inbred."

"I see the problem." Bulma nodded. "Well, what if you began cross breeding them?"

"I'd rather not, but we'll see. If it comes down to it, I may have to." Eighteen shrugged. "What did you do back home?"

"I was the heir to Capsule Corporation." Bulma said proudly.

"Oh. I thought you looked familiar." She nodded. "So, you're a technological genius. Or, that's what I read before."

"I am." Bulma nodded. "Or, I was."

"That's good. You must be bored here. This place is so backwards. There's no technology. That little car you have? That's recent. There's hardly any of them. Even ships are hard to come by so everyone just shares."

"Yeah, I'm adjusting. That's why I have so much time on my hands. I need something to do to keep me from going stir crazy."

"Well, that little guy will keep you busy. I promise you that." Eighteen chuckled dryly.

"I have been sending two of my friends out to get me tools and other things to start helping this place grow technologically. I can get them to keep their eyes open for dogs for you. It would be a shame for you to have to quit once they get old."

"I know. It was my passion. Just me and my dogs. I had to leave many of them behind."

"What else did you have?" Bulma asked.

"I did have Rottweilers and Boxers." She said.

"Awe. I love both. My Rottie was amazing. I always wanted a Boxer. My friend had one. They are great."

"Yeah, they all are."

"Why didn't you bring them as well?"

"I only had a male Rottweiller and one female Boxer. In my panic, I only took dogs I could take as a breeding pair. I miss them all though."

"I'll bet. I miss many people." Bulma nodded. "Well, I should be going. Thank you so much! I will keep in touch and keep you informed with their progress."

"I appreciate that." Eighteen nodded. "By the way, all of Aro's protection commands are in German. That is the only way you can call him off."

"Alright. My Rottie's commands were German as well." Bulma nodded.

"Hang on." Eighteen said, leaving Bulma in the living room with the dogs. "Here's a list of his commands that all of my dogs have been trained with. Just so there is no confusion. And there's a feeding schedule of how much they eat. Normally, I'd send you home with a bag of dog food, but seeing as there is none here, I have just been feeding them a raw food diet. Meat and vegetables."

"Perfect! Thank you so much!" Bulma said.

"Come here, you." Eighteen said to the puppy, scooping him up. She placed him in a crate and opened the door. "He is crate trained. I hope this fits in your car."

They placed the puppy in the back and Aro hopped up into the front seat. Eighteen said her goodbyes to her beloved Aro and off Bulma went with her two new dogs. She was really excited. Finally, something to keep her mind busy and focused off Vegeta. It seemed to get harder and harder each day for her instead of better.

Bulma wasn't sure exactly how long it had been, but she knew it was a little over two months. He was still being as stubborn in his refusal to acknowledge her through their bond. He had built up a wall and that was it. She had been working on building up her own wall. It was too painful not to. She could feel his rage and anxiety. The stress of it would give her the worst headaches. Sometimes, she just ached all over and she didn't understand why. She just assumed it had something to do with the bond and whatever Vegeta was going through. Unfortunately, she never knew what exactly it was he was going through thanks to his stubbornness and refusal to allow her in.

She decided to put up her own wall and when she finally found a way to see him, give him a piece of her mind and a slap upside the head for being a complete idiot. She knew he had no idea what he was putting her through and understood his reasoning for being so close minded, but at the same time, the turmoil she was going through over this was overwhelming. She wondered briefly if this was what he had meant when he said when one mate rejects the other, it can have disastrous effects on the one rejected. By ignoring her and building up a wall, he was in a sense rejecting her. And it hurt, not only on an emotional level, but physically as well.

Bulma started working with her two dogs that afternoon. She played with the Doberman a bit. He already knew how to sit and lay down. He seemed pretty good on a leash too from what she could tell. She decided to start him tomorrow on some bite work and an out command. Once he was tired out, she put him away and decided to work with Aro and see what he could do. She had heard great things about these dogs. They were like the Mona Lisa of protection dogs.

She started with some off leash heeling. His stride and form was perfect; his attention to her, flawless. She ran through a few basic commands in both English and German, in which he never faltered with either. Bulma smiled, now _this_ was a dog. She couldn't wait for Chi-Chi to get back to the house from the market and for Kakarott to get back from his recent trip. He was due back sometime today she had needed him to just get a few more things so that she could build capsules. Then, once she had made capsules, she could send him out to get the big things to bring back for the gravity room. She couldn't wait! She would sic Aro on Kakarott and test out his skills and be able to start on her projects.

Bulma had been giving a lot of thought as to what to do now that they had decided to settle here. It was a nice place, but lacked any kind of technology. It was like living in the early 1900's here. They at least had electricity, but that was about it. There wasn't much for currency. Mostly trading. Bulma needed money and tools though. So she figured she could either trade her mechanical services on ships and vehicles for either tools or materials she could use to build things or for money. When she finally would be able to make some capsules, she would begin selling them. She figured she could even send Kakarott out with a bunch on his next trip so he could even trade for materials or sell them for money. It would be a slow process, but worth it. She had only been here a few weeks and felt like this place needed her. She would take the initiative in helping build up this place.

Bulma spent the afternoon working with Aro. He was amazing! She couldn't believe Eighteen had just given him to her. Bulma made note to find some way to thank her in the future for allowing her to just take him.

Chi-Chi finally showed up with several shopping bags. Aro's ears went up as he watched the dark haired girl approach the house.

"No. Leave it." Bulma said to him. He looked at her anxiously. "Chi-Chi! Come here!" Bulma called out to her friend.

"I'm busy, Bulma!" her friend replied. "Kakarott is coming home at some point tonight. I have to get dinner started."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Platz." She said to Aro. It was a German command for lie down, but to not be relaxed. She might call on him in a moment or two. The dog dropped to the ground and looked expectantly at her, awaiting the next command.

Bulma ran towards her friend and grabbed a bunch of shopping bags. "I'm glad you're back!"

"Thanks. Good. You can help me." Chi-Chi replied.

"I will, but you have to see this!" Bulma said excitedly.

"I don't have time, Bulma." Chi-Chi objected. "What's with you?"

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked, frowning.

"You seem chipper this afternoon. Are you finally done moping?" Chi-Chi asked.

"I haven't been moping, but come here, I'll show you!" Bulma replied, rolling her eyes at her friend.

Chi-Chi sighed and followed her friend to the side of the house.

"Okay, wait here." Bulma said excitedly. "Aro, Here!"

Seconds after, the medium-sized Shepherd appeared and sat directly in front of Bulma, maybe an inch away, looking expectantly at her for the next command.

"Chi-Chi, I'd like you to meet Aro." Bulma said proudly. "Aro, Freund." She said to him, pointing to Chi-Chi.

"Bulma! Seriously? A dog?" Chi-Chi exclaimed, feeling uneasy as the Shepherd came to sniff her.

"Yeah! Hi name is Aro, he's a Belgian Malinois. He's three years old and has been trained in both personal protection and property surveillance." Bulma explained.

Chi-Chi nodded and looked stiffly at the dog.

"Don't worry. I just told him you were a friend." Bulma said. "He's super friendly."

"Bulma, do we really need a dog around?"

"No, I decided we need two!" she said, running to where she had left the Doberman puppy sleeping in his crate. "Look!"

"No, Bulma!" Chi-Chi groaned. "I can deal with one. But two? And a puppy? No!"

"Hey! He's already house trained. And look how cute he is!" Bulma objected, picking him up. "I'm going to train him just like Aro and like how Cable was."

"Isn't one enough?"

"Nope." Bulma shook her head. "I couldn't resist! Plus I need something to do until I get everything I need to be able to start building things. Chi, I'm going stir crazy!

"Okay, and when you have your projects to do, then what? They'll get bored and destroy everything!" Chi-Chi argued.

"No, they won't." Bulma said, waving her hand dismissively.

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "Whatever. When it happens, I'll remember this."

"Look at him though, isn't he cute?" Bulma asked, handing the puppy to her friend.

"Uh huh." Chi-Chi replied, taking the puppy and looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "He's going to grow up and be scary though if you teach him all that."

"No he won't." Bulma said dismissively. "Only to people who we don't like."

"Whatever. What's his name?" Chi-Chi asked, wrinkling her nose as the puppy licked her face.

"I don't know yet." Bulma said. "I've been thinking about that since I left the place I got him from."

"Which was?"

"A girl around our age, a fair drive out. She was captured and told to bring her best dogs. She did and then they didn't want them so she and her dogs were sent to auction and now she's here."

Chi-Chi nodded. "Alright. But these dogs are your responsibility. I won't be training or feeding or cleaning up after them."

Bulma grinned and nodded. "Want help making dinner?"

"Please." She replied, putting the puppy down.

Bulma let the dogs in and helped Chi-Chi bring the groceries in. "What are we making?"

"I thought I'd make that noodles and meat dish he likes so much. I haven't made that in a while."

"Alright."

"So, seeing as you're in such a good mood, I think now's a good time for me to let you know who I saw in the market today." Chi-Chi said, pouring a bunch of water into a huge pot and setting it on the stove.

"Who?" Bulma asked with interest. So far, they hadn't seen anyone they knew.

"Yamcha." Chi-Chi said.

"Seriously?"

"Uh huh." Chi-Chi nodded, grabbing a celery bunch.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. I didn't go talk to him. I don't think he saw me either." Chi-Chi shrugged.

"Oh. Well that's okay." Bulma said. "At least he's okay."

"Are you sure? I could go talk to him next time, if you wanted."

"No. Just leave it. He doesn't need to know I'm here." Bulma said, shaking her head. "I don't really have anything to say to him anyway."

Chi-Chi giggled. "You could always brag about finding a hot Prince that actually treats you decently and would do anything to keep you safe. Unlike him."

"Yeah, Chi. That's real mature." Bulma rolled her eyes. "No, I think it's fine as it is. I'm glad he's okay. That's all that matters but I have no interest in anything further than that."

"And when you finally do end up running into him, which will happen?"

"I'll deal with it then."

Chi-Chi shook her head at her friend. "Well, that's good."

"What?"

"Nothing. Just glad you have no interest in running back to him is all. I was debating whether or not to even tell you. I did because you seemed in a really good mood."

"Oh, no. I'd never go back with him. Chi, I'm technically married. And even if I wasn't, I could never go back to being with him. Not after everything Vegeta and I shared."

"You haven't been able to get a hold of him though." Chi-Chi said.

"So? Eventually we'll figure it out. Until then, whatever. I can't believe you think I'd even consider going back to Yamcha."

"Well, I know you're lonely. Trust me, I don't want you getting back with him. He's a loser. But if you did, I'd understand."

"Well, it's not happening. We're both free of each other and that's that. Besides, I'm not that lonely. I have you and Kakarott. Krillin, although I wish he'd get the hint that I'm not interested in him is also fun to have around. I'm glad he and Kakarott have become good friends. And now I have the dogs to keep me busy!"

"I know that, but it's different. I know you're still depressed from losing Vegeta and that he's still ignoring you. And I feel bad that things with Kakarott and I are getting serious."

"Why would you feel bad about that? I think it's great!"

"I just don't want to flaunt it in your face is all." Chi-Chi shrugged.

"You don't though." Bulma said shaking her head. "I'm thrilled you guys get along and when he does decide to make you his mate, which I'm pretty sure will be soon, I'll be even more thrilled for you both. Don't feel bad."

"Are you sure? Because I feel bad. We met only because of what happened."

"Okay. So that means you guys can't decide you really like each other because you're afraid it'll upset me? That's kind of dumb. Yea, I miss Vegeta. More than I can put into words. But I will find a way to get to him and then everything will be fine again. In the mean time, don't feel bad for finding happiness. If Kakarott wants to pursue things in a serious matter with you, do not hold back on my account. That would really tick me off."

Alright. Thanks, Bulma. I just feel like through your misfortune, I gained so much." Chi-Chi said. "You found me and brought me with you and now I've found a wonderful man."

"That's the way it should be." Bulma said, cutting up some meat for the soup and setting rations aside for the dogs. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'm always fine. I'm fine now that I have my dogs to keep me busy. I'll be fine when Kakarott brings me the rest of my tools to start building things and I'll be even more fine once I find that pig headed Saiyan and am able to let him know how fine I actually am."

"Alright." Chi-Chi nodded. She had been very worried about Bulma since they left the tavern. She hated seeing her friend so sad. This bond thing was really scaring her. She saw what it was doing to Bulma. There were days, like today, where she seemed okay. And then there were days her depression was so bad, she didn't want to get up out of bed. In a way, these dogs would be a very good thing for her. Something else to take care of that needed her. Chi-Chi also knew Bulma suffered from headaches and other pains. She had asked Kakarott about it one day and he said it was because Vegeta had put up a wall. Even though she could not communicate with him, she still feels things he feels on some small level. That, and the fact that he was ignoring her would cause her pain. It made Chi-Chi angry that he was doing that to her, no matter how unintentional.

The two women continued to make dinner in companionable silence.

"Danger." Bulma said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Danger." Bulma said again with a clever grin.

"What are you talking about?" she asked her friend, wondering if she'd finally lost it.

"That's the puppy's name. Danger."

"That's dumb." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes. He's very regal looking. Shouldn't he have a more classy exotic name?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Egypt. Midnight. Tsar. Caesar, Brutus. Roman. Achilles even. Or Hector."

"Hmm. I like the name Roman." Bulma said, thinking about it. She turned to look at the black and tan Doberman puppy who was watching her intently. "Nope. Danger it is."

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "Great. Danger the Doberman."

"I think it's brilliant!"

"Whatever, they're your dogs."

A few hours later, Kakarott and Krillin showed up.

"Hey! What's with the dogs?" Krillin asked nervously.

"They're Bulma's." Chi-Chi said quickly.

"They are to keep bad people out." Bulma said. "Relax, they're friendly. Aro, Freund."

The sixty pound Malinios walked up cautiously to the two men and sniffed them, tail wagging and all.

"He's kinda scary." Krillin said nervously as the dog sniffed him.

"No, only if you're bad. He's highly intelligent. He knows. You've been accepted into the house, he's been told you're a friend and you'll forever be good with him." Bulma explained. "Unless you piss either of us off, then it's on and there's not much I can do." She added teasingly.

"So he's a protection dog?" Kakarott asked. "I've heard of dogs and animals used for that purpose. Never seen them though. You said you had one on your planet."

"I did. He was awesome." Bulma nodded. "After you eat, I want to test him out on you."

"Alright!" Kakarott grinned.

The four ate in silence. The meal, as usual, was delicious. Bulma was thrilled Kakarott had managed to get everything she needed to start making capsules. She estimated she could make about one hundred of them. They would use about half for their own purposes and either sell or trade the other half.

"We also came across something else that may be of interest." Kakarott said.

"What's that?" the two women asked.

"Well, one of the planets we were on to get the rest of the stuff is also a huge planet that Lord Frieza is occupying. They make fuel and supply almost all of it to just him." Kakarott said. "Since we haven't figured out a way to get a hold of Vegeta without being detected, I thought why not get him to come to us?"

"Okay. How do we do that? Does he hang out there?" Bulma asked.

"No. But this place is really heavily guarded. I know Frieza is very protective of it. Without it, he'd be screwed in getting mass amounts of fuel. I thought, why don't we create an explosion or something there. Something to attract attention."

"Oh yeah, because that's a great idea, Kakarott!" Chi-Chi growled. "Are you nuts?"

"No. Just wait. We won't do any serious damage. Just plant a small bomb somewhere and let it go off. When Lord Frieza hears about it, he'll be pissed and send some of his men to go investigate it and take care of whoever is doing it."

Bulma nodded. "That could work. But what if we get caught?"

"It's a chance we'd have to take. I can't think of any other way though." Kakarott shrugged. "We may have to do it a few times to catch his attention. Eventually, if Lord Frieza thinks this is a serious enough issue, or that someone's threatening his fuel shipments he'll send Vegeta to deal with it. That's when we go to him."

"Like that'll be easy!" Bulma sighed. "Just walk up to him like "Hey, Vegeta no worries, that was just us messing around. Oh by the way we're alive and well, want to come join us?"

"Have you come up with anything better?" Kakarott asked her. "And no, he probably won't be able to just leave with us since this will be a mission, but at least he'll know you are alright. He'll stop blocking you. It's a step in the right direction."

"Gee, Bulma, for a genius you can be dim." Chi-Chi rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Shut up." Bulma frowned. "Okay, when do we do this? I'm in."

"We can get the ship again in a week." Krillin said.

"Okay. Let's do it. I'll make capsules so we can start selling them for money to buy more materials and tools." Bulma nodded. "I can make a small bomb easily enough. Then we just wait?"

Kakarott nodded. "It may take a few tries before Frieza gets concerned enough to send Vegeta. But that's alright. In the meantime, we will just keep doing what we have been doing and just add this to the list of things to do every time we head out on a supply run.."

"I don't like it." Chi-Chi said. "What if you guys get caught?"

"I'll take the fall for it." Bulma said.

"What? No way."

"Yeah, then I can for sure find my way back to Vegeta. Frieza, I'm sure would love to flaunt that at Vegeta." Bulma shrugged.

"Bulma, that's the worst idea. You can't let yourself get captured. Not alone." Chi-Chi said.

"If you go down, I will go with you." Kakarott said. "It's my job to keep you safe. Where you go, I go. Besides, it was my idea."

Chi-Chi shook her head. "You're both nuts."

"I need to find him, Chi." Bulma sighed.

"I know, but at what cost?"

"I don't know, but I'm doing this." Bulma said, looking at Kakarott.

"Alright. First mission is next week." He nodded.

The four finished their dinner. Bulma made Kakarott a bite sleeve out of a few pillows and towels.

"Alright, Just go hide somewhere." Bulma said to him. "I'll send Aro out just let him do what he's going to do. Don't panic and please don't hurt him."

"Oh, right." Krillin rolled his eyes. "Just let the dog bite you. But don't panic."

"Just watch." Bulma said. Once Kakarott was hidden, she went in the house and came out with Aro. "Riviere!" She said to him and pointed to the yard. Aro took off, ran around a few trees, past some large rocks and finally behind a large shed at the end of the yard and began barking.

Bulma smiled. "What's so funny? He's probably getting his arm torn off!" Krillin said.

"No he's not." She said. "Aro! Here!"

He stopped barking and raced across the yard and sat in front of Bulma. "Heel." She said, and he took a sitting position on her left side, still looking up at her, waiting for her next command. "Kakarott, come out."

Kakarott came out from behind the shed. "He didn't do anything but bark at me."

"That's good. That's all he was supposed to do." Bulma said. "Come here though and shake my hand." Kakarott did just that, watching Aro carefully. "Alright, now go stand in the middle of the yard. I'm going to let him have a bite."

"Oh great." Kakarott said sheepishly. He stood in the middle of the yard.

"Riviere!" She said to Aro, who ran right up to Kakarott and stopped and sat about an inch away from him and began to bark aggressively at him. After a few seconds, Bulma said "Packen!" and Aro bit Kakarott in the arm with the fake sleeve.

"What do I do now, Bulma?" Kakarott asked.

"Just let him win. Don't fight him too much; I don't want you hurting him." Bulma said. She let Aro bite him some more and was very impressed. He didn't chew or thrash and was actually dragging Kakarott with him.

"He's strong, Bulma!" Kakarott said.

"Out!" Bulma shouted at Aro, who immediately let go and came back to her.

"Wow! That's cool!" Kakarott said.

"Oh yeah. Real cool. So long as he doesn't decide you're a threat." Krillin said.

"Alright, I want you to run away from him. I'm going to send him after you." Bulma said.

Kakarott nodded and started jogging down the middle of the yard. "Take him." Bulma said to Aro and the dog shot off like a missile down the yard. He jumped up, grabbed the sleeve on Kakarott's arm and dug his feet into the ground. Kakarott stumbled and fell.

"Out!" Bulma called to him and again, he let go and came right back to Bulma. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Kakarott called back, standing up and brushing himself off. "That was interesting."

"Yeah, I'll say." Krillin rolled his eyes, not impressed.

"No, it was." Kakarott said seriously. "He took me down all on his own. I didn't let him. Very humbling. I think you made a great decision, Bulma."

"Thank you!" Bulma beamed.

"No, really. I know Chi-Chi know how to defend herself and you are coming along well, but having him is just a bit of extra insurance." Kakarott said. "I feel better knowing that he's around. If he can take me down, then I think you should be okay or at least if someone breaks in, he'll occupy them and give you some time to make an escape."

"That's what I thought. I'm training the puppy too." Bulma said, pointing to Danger.

"What? No." Krillin whined. "He's so cute."

"I know! And you're the perfect size!" Bulma nodded. "I'm going to make you a little bite suite and sleeve and you can help me teach him! He's too small still to work with Kakarott yet!" she teased.

"No way! I'm not doing any such thing!" Krillin said, taking a step away.

"Awe, come on. It'll be fun."

Krrillin shook his head. "On that note, I'm going home to bed." He said, leaving.

Bulma laughed.

"That was mean, Bulma." Chi-Chi said.

"I was trying to be funny!" Bulma argued.

Chi-Chi shook her head. "Well, I'm taking a hot bath and then getting to bed myself."

"Alright, I'll be in in a bit." Bulma said.

"Want to train some more with him?" Kakarott asked, looking at Aro.

"Sure. I was going to anyway, but if you want we can do some more bites."

"Sure! I've never done anything like that before. He's great! He'll need to train regularly just like we do and I don't mind helping out." Kakarott shrugged.

"Thank you!" Bulma said.

"So, you sure you are ok with this plan?" Kakarott asked.

"Yeah. I'm nervous." She admitted.

"Why? I'll take care of you and make sure we don't get caught."

"I know that. I'm nervous about seeing him again. What if this takes months and by then he's gotten completely over me?"

"Vegeta? I don't think so." Kakarott shook his head. "I know right now he's being stubborn, but once he sees you, he'll be happy."

"I hope so. I miss him so much."

"I know you do. I can't imagine what that must feel like." Kakarott nodded. "Speaking of which, I am going to be asking Chi-Chi if she'll be my mate soon. Don't tell her though!"

"Really? That's awesome!" Bulma exclaimed. "I won't say a word!"

"I found a place that sells jewelry on another planet. I wanted to get her a ring like Vegeta did for you but I thought I'd ask you first."

"Ask me what? Go for it." Bulma said.

"Just is a ring appropriate? Would she like that?"

"She would! Look for a diamond. Don't get her anything too gaudy. She likes very simple, delicate jewelry." Bulma advised.

"Alright! Thanks!" Kakarott grinned.

The two spent about another hour working with Aro that night. The next day, Bulma started on capsules in between her training sessions and working with the dogs. She made about one hundered of them before she and Kakarott left on their first mission to detonate a bomb on Frieza's fuel planet.

They waited there for three days and nothing, so they detonated a second one that went off about an hour after their departure.

They did this every two weeks for seven months. Frieza had sent out many of his soldiers. The Ginyu Force was even sent to investigate, but so far, no sign of Vegeta.

Bulma was starting to get even more discouraged.

0-0-0

Vegeta stepped out of his ship and onto the planet Vegeta-sei, where he was greeted by his Father, the many elders and Asia. It was his first visit back home in eight months. Eight months since he had lost Bulma. Eight months of hell. He hadn't spoken to her voice again. He had refused. Every once in a while, it would trouble him; usually at night after he woke up from another dream about her.

Most of the nightmares had subsided; he didn't get them that often anymore. Usually, when he did dream of her, she was alright and was telling him she was alright and wanting him to come find her. It gave him some comfort that wherever she was, she was alright. She wasn't suffering any. He liked to think that if there was an afterlife in another dimension, this is where she was. It annoyed him somewhat that she still insisted that she wasn't dead. The few times she spoke to him, she still insisted that she and Kakarott had survived. He refused to allow his mind to succumb to this obvious nonsense and kept his mental wall up. It bothered him less and less these days.

Frieza had been deliberately been sending him on useless tedious missions. Missions he would have never sent Zarbon on. He completed each and every single one efficiently and without incident. As a reward, Frieza allowed him to go home for a few days. So, here he was.

"My Son." The King greeted. "You look well."

"I am fine, Father." Vegeta replied.

"I am so glad you came to visit. Come, we have much to discuss." The King said. "Many things have happened since your departure."

Vegeta nodded and followed his father into the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope I didn't bore you all with the dog stuff, but I had to come up with something unique to occupy Bulma's time and for her to cope with her depression. My hubby gave me the idea and I went with it since I know nothing about fighting/self defense or about science stuff. He said to me after I annoyed him all afternoon about self defense questions for this to "Write about what you know. Make that her hobby." And so the idea for Bulma to acquire two protection dogs was born. I wasn't going to run with it but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. Also, it hasn't been done before (to my knowledge). I wanted a unique project for her and something that could benefit her therapeutically and overall in general. Vegeta's always on her case about not being protected, so I figured this fit perfectly. I think he'd approve.
> 
> Next up: Will they finally meet? Stay tuned…


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

**_CHAPTER 20_ **

Vegeta stepped out of his ship and onto the planet Vegeta-sei, where he was greeted by his Father, the many elders and Asia. It was his first visit back home in eight months. Eight months since he had lost Bulma. Eight months of hell. He hadn't spoken to her voice again. He had refused. Every once in a while, it would trouble him; usually at night after he woke up from another dream about her.

Most of the nightmares had subsided; he didn't get them that often anymore. Usually, when he did dream of her, she was alright and was telling him she was alright and wanting him to come find her. It gave him some comfort that wherever she was, she was alright. She wasn't suffering any. He liked to think that if there was an afterlife in another dimension, this is where she was. It annoyed him somewhat that she still insisted that she wasn't dead. The few times she spoke to him, she still insisted that she and Kakarott had survived. He refused to allow his mind to succumb to this obvious nonsense and kept his mental wall up. It bothered him less and less these days.

Frieza had been deliberately sending him out on useless tedious missions. Missions he would have never sent Zarbon on. He completed each and every single one efficiently and without incident. As a reward, Frieza allowed him to go home for a few days. So, here he was.

"My Son." The King greeted. "You look well."

"I am fine, Father." Vegeta replied.

"I am so glad you came to visit. Come, we have much to discuss." The King said. "Many things have happened since your departure."

Vegeta nodded and followed his father into the palace and into his private study.

"I assume your time with Lord Frieza has done you well?" The King asked taking a seat at his desk and looking his son over. He had definitely changed over the last several months.

"It is what it is." Vegeta replied, sitting across the desk from his father. "What did you wish to discuss?"

"I was wondering how much longer you planned on serving under Lord Frieza?"

"You tell me." Vegeta replied in a clipped tone. "You were the one who made the arrangements for me."

"Vegeta, it was for your own good." The King said with a heavy sigh. "You weren't thinking straight. Something had to be done before you destroyed your life. You must understand."

"I understand completely." Vegeta replied. "You did not give a shit about anything of my wishes. You did not take the time to understand my decision or take the time to even see for yourself and consider the benefit she could have been for us."

The King shook his head. "My Son, I am truly sorry. Had I stepped in when I first suspected something, I would have spared you much grief of having to make it through a severed bond. I understand what it is like to lose a mate. Fortunately, you weren't bonded long enough for it to have effected you."

"Enough." Vegeta growled. "I did not come back here to discuss that."

"Fair enough. That's all in the past." The King nodded. "I wanted to discuss you returning here early. I feel you've put in enough time. Asia is still willing to take you as a mate. You are fortunate enough that I was able to salvage that arrangement despite that whole debacle."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "If that is why you wanted to see me then here's my answer. I will be serving under Lord Frieza indefinitely." He said, getting up to leave and slamming the door behind him. He stomped angrily down the hallway and decided he might as well return to his ship and back to Frieza's. This had been an obvious waste of his time.

As he stomped down the hallway, he decided to pay Bardock a quick visit before leaving. He had not spoken to the older Saiyan since the day he set his broken bones for him. Maybe he could see what progress he had made on that Gravity Simulator, if any.

He opened the doors to the lab and as usual, there was the older Saiyan, studying something or other on his desk.

"My Prince." He greeted, setting everything aside. "It is wonderful to see you!"

"You as well, Bardock." Vegeta nodded.

"I heard you were returning." Bardock said. "I trust you have been well?"

"I am fine." Vegeta replied.

"Good! I am glad." Bardock nodded. "I have some news that might make you happy."

"What's that?"

"I finally finished the Gravity Simulator Room." He said proudly. "It was quite a challenge, but I did it. I finished it about a week ago. I had heard of your impending visit so the timing could not have been better."

"Well done, Bardock." Vegeta said. "It works like she said it would?"

"It does." Bardock nodded. "I had Raditz test it out for me. It is truly ingenious."

"May I see it?"

"It's here, in this capsule." Bardock said, handing his Prince the familiar blue capsule. "Go ahead, open it. It will fit in here."

Vegeta tossed the capsule to the ground and out popped a spherical building. Vegeta raised an eyebrow at its size. It wasn't very large.

"It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside* (A/N: Any Whovians out there? Lol! I couldn't resist!) so that you may be able to easily train anywhere you wish." Bardock said, knowing what he was thinking. "Come see." He said, opening it up and stepping in.

It did indeed look much larger on the inside. There was a console in the center and the rest was open space. Vegeta nodded appreciatively. Bardock showed him quickly how to work the gravity simulator and a few of the other features before exiting and capsulating it up again.

"Well done, Bardock." Vegeta said. "This will help me immensely."

"It's my pleasure, my Prince." Bardock bowed. "How have you been? Really."

Vegeta shrugged. "About as well as to be expected."

"I do not mean to pry, but did you ever get a sense of Bulma at all?" the older Saiyan asked. "I have not heard from Kakarott. I was hoping they were safe somewhere and just unable to risk making contact for fear of discovery."

Vegeta shook his head. "No."

"Nothing at all?"

"She was haunting me. In my dreams and in my head. It started about a week or so after the explosion. She insisted she and Kakarott were fine; on planet Vegas where I found her or some nonsense. I spoke to it briefly only to humor her and then severed any remains of a bond so as to not fall into a further depression."

"My Prince, what if she really was alright? Do you know what you might have done?" Bardock asked, shocked.

"I did what I had to do to not lose myself." Vegeta growled. "There is no way they could have survived. I tried for a week to sense something, anything of her and got nothing but nightmares back. Horrible things. Then this voice of hers started talking to me. I spoke to it briefly, made peace with it and put up a wall so that it would not continue to haunt me. It has worked for the most part. Some days are harder than others. It is persistent."

Bardock shook his head. He had a very bad feeling about this that Vegeta may have made a huge mistake. "You are certain it was the effects of the bond being severed and not her trying to reach out to you?"

"I believe it was her from another dimension, in the afterlife maybe." Vegeta nodded. "I once witnessed an Elite soldier having the same affects after the death of his mate. He would sit there and speak with her for hours like a fool. He carried on for weeks like that until he passed. I refuse to look like a fool and speak to dead spirits. What was done was done and cannot be undone. I cannot allow my memory of her to keep me from my goal."

Bardock nodded. It was possible it was just the bond affecting him that way. But what if? He hoped by some chance if they were still alive they would find a way to contact either himself or Vegeta. It had been eight months though and the more time went on the more unlikely it was becoming.

"I still dream of her." Vegeta admitted. "I do not allow myself to dwell on it though. We were not meant to be. There is no sense dwelling on what could have been.

"I think given different circumstances in your life, you both would have been able to make it work." Bardock said. He wasn't sure what to say to Vegeta. He hadn't seen him in almost a year and he could tell he was distant and withdrawn. He wanted to ask him more but feared he would close himself off even more than he already was.

"Hmmn." Vegeta mumbled. "I must go. I will test out the simulator and then leave. I am not sure when I will return, but you have my thanks, Bardock."

"Have you seen your father yet?"

"Briefly. He only wanted to see me about returning here and matting Asia. He so graciously looked out for my best interest and salvaged our supposed union." Vegeta spat sarcastically. "I informed him that if such is the case, I will retain my position with Lord Frieza indefinitely. I have nothing more to say to him."

Bardock shook his head. "I am sorry. It would be wonderful to have you back here permanently however, given your predicament, I understand."

Vegeta nodded. There was no way in hell he would be taking Asia as a mate. "Farewell, Bardock." He said, turning to leave.

"Take care, my Prince." Bardock nodded and watched him leave. He shook his head in despair as he watched Vegeta leave the lab. If he thought the young prince was emotionally stunted before, he most certainly was now. He could tell by the bland tone in his voice and the way his eyes were devoid of any emotion that he was just pulling through. The Vegeta eight months ago would have been beyond thrilled that the Gravity Simulator was finished.

Bardock was very worried for his Prince. At least when he was in Frieza's service before, he had Kakarott for company. Now he had no one.

Vegeta left Bardock's lab without another word and headed down the hall. He decided to grab another flight suit from his personal quarters first and then head to his island where he could test out the Gravity Simulator without any fear of discovery or disturbance.

He turned down the hall and groaned in irritation as he saw Asia waiting by the entrance of the Royal Wing. Had she been waiting for him this entire time? He rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked irritably.

"It's nice to see you again." Asia replied. "I missed you."

"Uh huh." He grunted walking past her, completely ignoring her and heading into the Royal Wing.

"I was really worried about you," She continued as she followed him. "The last time I saw you, you were in pretty bad shape."

"Well, as you can see, I am perfectly fine. Your worries were a waste of time." He replied continuing down the hall way to his room.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To my rooms."

"Would you like some company?"

"No." he replied balling his hands in fists, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Oh. I was hoping we could maybe spend some time together since you're back for a few days."

Vegeta laughed as he continued down the hall.

"I don't see what's so funny." Asia said defensively. "I have forgiven you."

"Forgiven me?" He asked credulously. "And what, pray tell have you forgiven me for exactly?"

"For disgracing me by taking that low class slave as your mate."

Vegeta threw his head back and continued to laugh almost maniacally. "You've forgiven me?"

"I have." She replied, frowning at his laughter truly not understanding why he was laughing. "I was very hurt and offended, but I have come to terms with it. I realize that she must have somehow tricked you and it had to have been a mistake on your part. Now that some time has passed and you are of the right mind, I wish to really make an effort in our union. I know we didn't get off on the right foot, but if you would please just give me a chance-"

Vegeta grabbed her by the neck and slammed her up against the nearest wall cutting off her rambling. "You are directly responsible for her death." He growled dangerously. "It should be _You_ seeking _My_ forgiveness. Not the other way around."

"You are wrong. I was trying to help you from making a mistake. Please, I meant you no harm."

"Shut up." He replied in a calm voice of barely contained rage. Somehow, it was scarier than if he had decided to shout at her. "What will it take for you to leave me alone and never speak to me again?"

"We were meant for one another."

"What will it take?" he growled dangerously again, his hand tightening around her throat.

"One night." She choked out. "Just one night with me. I only want to experience what she had with you. Please. Even if it's only once."

Vegeta laughed again.

"Give me a chance. I promise. I will make it worth your while." She pleaded, touching his forearm.

"Do not be ridiculous." He said between fits of maniacal laughter. "I would rather fuck Lord Frieza."

"I'm sure that could be arranged." Asia replied coolly. "I hear that's where his preferences lay."

"You shut your mouth!" He growled angrily.

"No, really. You know, I am really starting to question your preferences." Asia persisted. "I mean, I think I should be concerned. Why is it that everywhere we go, you're always the only man in the room that doesn't want to fuck me? And then you show up with some dainty little breakable bed ornament that couldn't have been much fun and mated with her, then choose to leave with Lord Frieza when everybody knows how much you hate him. All the beatings he gave you? Maybe that's what you like?"

"Anything is better than spending another moment in your presence. Think what you want." He replied in an eerily calm voice and let her go before his rage consumed him and he did something stupid like strangle her. She wasn't worth the effort. He turned away and went into his private quarters and locked the door so she would not follow him.

"Did I strike a nerve there, my Prince?" Asia hollered at him from the other side of the door. She frowned when she didn't get any response from him at all what so ever. "Ass! One of these days you'll realize what you're throwing away and it'll be too late! I won't be here!"

Asia stood there another few moments and fumed silently. Once again, getting no response from him. _What is wrong with him?_ He should have been thanking her! She had gotten him out of a very bad situation that he had trapped himself in. She had even in her hurt decided after careful consideration to be the bigger person and let it go. Why was she being treated as though she had done this horrible thing? He was the one who had been so stupid and irresponsible as to make his bed slave his mate. Not her. They were to be mated. He had technically been unfaithful to her if she really thought long and hard about it. Yet she had remained steadfast in her loyalties to him.

She had obsessed each day for eight months how their first meeting after his long awaited return would go. She had envisioned him sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her into his rooms to make passionate love to her over and over again in an effort to make it all up to her and apologizing for his complete lapse in judgment where Bulma had been concerned. She had even hoped and entertained the idea that maybe he would get her with child and it would be a sign that they were truly meant to be. Then the entire kingdom would celebrate and bless their union, her coronation as Princess of Vegeta-sei and the impending birth of a new heir to the throne. It was all perfect. They would be a family and she would stand by his side proudly as his mate and Queen. They would be unstoppable together.

The moment Vegeta had slammed the door in her face mere seconds ago, all of her hopes came crashing to a dramatic halt.

Deciding that he wasn't going to change his mind and invite her in, Asia stomped down the hall and left the Royal Wing. She was completely at a loss. What was she going to do? She had tried repeatedly over the last few years to seduce him and he always rebuked her advances. She was out of options now.

In a panic she went to see her father, Paragus. He always knew what to do.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Vegeta stomped angrily through his quarters. He could not believe the audacity of that woman. That she would even think he would consider touching her! It truly was laughable. He found the near sight of her almost repulsive. The thought of any kind of intimate encounter with her was unfathomable to him. She wanted one night. One night to experience what he had experienced with Bulma.

"Ha!" He laughed. "That's a good one."

He grabbed a new flight suit from the closet and was ready to head out through the balcony when he happened to notice Bulma's ipod on the night table on his side of the bed. It was right where he had left it. He couldn't bear to have the reminder at the time so he had left it behind. He shrugged and tucked it into his breast plate, taking it with him.

Vegeta stepped onto the balcony and jetted off as fast as he could to the welcomed peace and isolation of his island. A few times on the way he had nearly turned around and went back to the ship. He wasn't sure if he could handle going there. There would be nothing there but the reminder of _her_. It may prove to be nothing more than a distraction to him. Even he knew he had not handled her death properly. He hadn't dealt with it at all. Just buried it and used the pent up rage to complete the mundane tasks Lord Frieza sent him on. He promptly decided to continue his course and if he could not focus he would blow it up when he left.

He smirked to himself once he landed on the sand. It took him almost half the time it usually did to get here. He must have improved much in the last eight months! He was very anxious to see just how far he had come. It was getting very frustrating for him to hold himself back these past months during his training sessions and missions. He would find out right now once and for all how strong he really was and with the help of the Gravity Simulator, make himself even stronger. Frieza wouldn't even see him coming.

Vegeta trudged through the trees and into the clearing where he had taken Bulma to train. He decapsulated the Gravity room and watched as it appeared in front of him. He went inside and turned it on. His first inclination was to turn it up all the way to the maximum 500 times normal gravity. It was very tempting and he was very curious to see how much he could withstand. He was about to turn the dial all the way when he remembered Bulma's warning: _It could be very dangerous. You could crush yourself like a pancake._ He shrugged and set it to 100 times normal gravity to start. He could always raise it.

He took a deep breath to prepare himself as the simulation began to work. He could feel the force of the gravity pulling him down. He was still able to walk though. He decided to up it to 150 and then started warming up with sit-ups and pushups. It was definitely a challenge, but on his next work out he would definitely be raising it. This would do for now though.

He finished his warm up of pushups and sit-ups; his muscles aching already from the added stress of the gravity pulling him down. It was exhilarating. He could not remember the last time he had felt challenged during a training session. He cleared his mind and focused on the pent up energy and power that lay dormant inside him. He had been fighting to keep it locked deep inside of him so no one would know his true power. He would show them all though, eventually. He just had to be sure of his abilities and make sure he could handle them in a way to effectively get rid of everyone standing in his way quickly without expending too much energy before facing Lord Frieza.

He brought his energy up and up, letting it flow freely through him. He could feel it again as he had before hovering just at his finger tips. He let out a mighty howl and unleashed everything inside him; his rage, pain and determination to be the best and the strongest this universe had ever seen. He felt a tremendous rush and then a release unlike anything he had ever felt. It was similar to the rush he had felt when he'd destroyed Zarbon, but multiplied almost tenfold from that. He trembled as he struggled to hang onto and control this new found energy. He looked down and saw the golden aura on his hands and walked to one of the tinted windows inside the Gravity room and marveled at the reflection staring back at him.

It was him, but it wasn't. His hair was a brilliant golden yellow and his eyes a piercing, vibrant teal. He smirked at himself, watching the golden aura that enveloped his entire being. He had done it! He had ascended! And he had been able to call upon it nearly effortlessly this time.

Vegeta walked easily now to the center console as though the gravity simulator was shut off and raised the gravity to 250 times normal gravity and relished in the feel of the added pressure, though still didn't feel overly challenged with this new power flowing through him. He began shadow boxing with an invisible enemy and smirked as he felt the increase in his speed. This was amazing. The only thing he wished he had at this moment was a sparring partner so he could see just how much faster he was. His muscles ached and he began trembling some more as he tried to hang onto this new power. He knew then that he was not ready to face Lord Frieza just yet. He would have to be able to harness this power effortlessly as though he were in his original form. Only then would he be able to do this.

He let go of the golden aura. He collapsed onto his knees as he reverted back to his original self. He sat there on his knees and caught his breath, chuckling to himself. This was great! He finally had achieved his goal. Now all he had to do way find a way to e able to sustain it for a long period of time, without exhausting himself. He shook his head. As excited as he was, this had taken a lot out of him and he was exhausted and his muscled burned. He would have to find a way to do this each day. Only then would it become easier. He climbed slowly to his feet with great difficulty and shut down the Gravity Simulation. It was amazing. As a Super Saiyan, 250 times gravity was manageable. At his normal self, he could barely stand up. He decided he would have to make sure he could withstand it at his normal state just as easily as in his ascended state. That would be his goal.

Vegeta walked around the Gravity Simulator, looking at everything. He could not believe that it was finished. He looked up at the ceiling and silently thanked Bardock and the Woman. He took her ipod out from his breast plate and plugged it into a port on the center consul. No doubt, Bulma's doing. He watched the screen light up as it began to charge. Vegeta walked into the small washroom and turned the shower on. It was just a small standing room only shower, but more than sufficient.

As he waited for the water to warm up, he took off his clothes and looked back at himself in the small mirror. The next time he ascended, he would come here and take in his appearance properly. He fingered the chain and ring around his neck. He never took it off and never intended to. At the time, it had been the only reminder he had allowed himself. He didn't know why, but he had. The mark on his neck where she had bit him had almost completely healed up. He could barely see it. Most likely the regen tank had healed it. He shook his head and headed into the shower and sighed in contentment as the hot water poured down over his body, soothing his sore muscles. He hadn't been this sore in a long time and figured he had only been in here an hour or so. Imagine how much a full day in here would benefit him. It should be able to fit into the training room on his ship. Hopefully. The small training room on his current ship was smaller than the one on his other ship that Frieza had destroyed. Bulma had said she'd built the specs for it to fit in that one. He would try once he left here, which he fully intended on doing once he was done showering. He did not wish to see or speak with his father again.

Vegeta exited the shower and dried himself off with his ki. He changed into the fresh, black flight suit he had grabbed from his quarters earlier and put his armor back on. Just as he was finished putting on his boots, he received a call on his scouter. He groaned in annoyance. Who was bothering him now?

"Yes." He grunted, answering it.

"My dear Prince Vegeta." Frieza's sickly syrupy voice from the other end greeted. "I do not mean to bother you on your visit home, but there is an urgent matter that I need you to take care of for me."

"No bother at all, I was planning to leave right away as it is." Vegeta replied. Good. Now he had a legitimate excuse to leave.

"Oh, you did not enjoy your visit with your father?" Frieza asked. "I know he was so looking forward to your visit."

"I have spoken to him and there is nothing left to be said between us." Vegeta shrugged. "Where is it you are sending me?"

"I have been having problems on Planet Bellatrix.*" Frieza replied. "As you know, it is the main supplier of all our fuel. I have exclusive rights to harvest as much of it as I want for my own personal use. Someone has been strategically placing bombs and setting them off, it appears to be every two weeks."

"Right," Vegeta replied. He knew of the planet, though had never been there himself.

"I have been dealing with this for many months now and it has become a bothersome annoyance to say the least." Frieza growled. "I have sent many soldiers to rectify the situation and bring forward the pests that have the audacity to mess with what is mine. So far, they have come back empty handed and with no leads. Only that it seems to happen once every two weeks and in a different location. Though more recently, they seemed to have doubled their efforts and have been blowing up two locations at once and in critical areas. I have lost much product due to this inconvenience. I want this resolved now."

"I will head over right away, Lord Frieza." Vegeta replied.

"See to it that you go through any means possible to find these perpetrators. I want them brought back so that I may interrogate them personally." Frieza replied coolly. "I want to know if they are a part of a resistance rebel group or what. There has to be a reason for it. Captain Ginyu and his squad have returned empty handed. Twice. They just returned from their second inquiry. Mere hours after their departure, two more bombs went off. I am not happy."

"I understand."

"Find them, Vegeta and deal with them, but leave them alive. I do not care by what means, you have leave and means to use your full discretion on this matter."

"I will see to it, Lord Frieza."

"I know you will. Get to it. I expect you to resolve this quickly." Frieza replied, disconnecting.

Vegeta sighed. He didn't really feel like going on another mission, but at least he had an excuse to leave immediately and maybe he could drag this out and focus on his training without being bothered. He knew where the planet was. It would take him about a day and a half to make it. Best leave now.

He grabbed the ipod off the console and exited the gravity chamber, decapsulating it. He took off into the air and rushed back to the palace. On his way, he received a call from his father. Despite the urge to ignore it, he answered it. "What."

"Where the hell are you?" His father growled on the other end.

"Around. What does it matter?"

"Everything is prepared for the banquet tonight to celebrate your return." the King said.

"I will not be attending." Vegeta replied in a clipped tone.

"My son, it is in your honor, you must be in attendance." The King argued.

"I have been summoned by Lord Frieza. He has an urgent matter that requires my immediate attention." Vegeta replied, thankful he had a legitimate excuse to bail on a boring banquet. The last thing he wanted was to have to endure his father and the council members fawning all over him and stupid Asia pursuing him some more.

"You just returned." His father objected.

"I am well aware of that, however something of importance has come up and I am needed. Farewell." Vegeta replied and hung up on his father.

He made it back to his ship in record time. He entered it and began punching in the coordinates when he sensed someone behind him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled.

"I only wanted to see you off." Asia's voice answered from behind him. "Your father said you would be missing the banquet tonight because of a mission from Lord Frieza. I was very disappointed."

"Leave." He commanded, not turning to look at her.

"May I come along with you on this mission?" She asked innocently.

"No. now get off my ship before I remove you myself." He said, taking a deep breath, trying to control his temper.

"Don't be that way." she pleaded, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "It would be fun. We could go together."

"Get off me!" He spat at her, getting up off his seat and whirling around to face her.

"Come on, don't you want some company?" she continued, ignoring his harsh rebuff. "Let me see you off at least? You seem stressed. Let me help you relax before you leave."

"Get out. Now." He growled, grabbing her by her upper arm and hauling her down the ship roughly and tossing her out the door and promptly locking it. "Stupid whore!" he shouted, stomping back to his seat and firing his ship up and leaving.

Asia stomped her foot on the ground in frustration. This had been her last opportunity. She was out of options now. Her Father had given her advice and a plan for tonight that had promptly back fired with Vegeta's accepting another mission and having to leave.

The plan had been for her to drug him at the banquet and then seduce him later on and hope that she may become pregnant and entrap him that way. When she had learned that he would not be attending, she decided to try once more and boarded his ship and waited patiently for him. Initially, she had hoped he wouldn't notice her until they were well off into space. However, that backfired and she opted to try one last attempt to make him want her. She sure hadn't expected him to haul her off his ship so hastily. That had been just plain rude.

Asia headed back into the palace. Her confidence completely blown after being violently shot down twice today by the only man she had ever cared for. Who even knew when he would be back? Her father had made it very clear that she had to finalize their union on this visit by any means possible. Now she was doomed.

Doomed into a forced union with the King himself.

She knew she should have been happy with this turn of events, but she was anything but. She knew of his reputation. The thought of being mated to him nearly made her physically ill. Asia dejectedly headed back to her father's office to let him know and plan a way to get the ball rolling. No matter how much she did not want to do this, she would not fail her father.

_**Meanwhile…** _

Vegeta set his ship on auto pilot once he had left Vegeta-sei's atmosphere. He really wanted to train some more, but he was still feeling sore and exhausted from his earlier work out. He would rest for about an hour or so and then get back at it. He had a day and a half before he landed on Bellatrix and he planned to utilize the free time well.

He headed to his room. It was considerably smaller than his from on his other ship, but it was more than adequate for his needs. He pulled off his armor and poured himself a glass of wine. He took Bulma's ipod out from his pocket and turned it on; plugging the head phones into his hears and set it to random like he had before. Some sort of classical instrumentation piece came on. Something called Mozart's Requiem. He began scrolling through it out of curiosity as the music began playing.

As he scrolled through the different applications, he found tons of pictures; pictures of Bulma and a big black dog; lots of pictures of Bulma and some girl who he assumed must have been a friend of hers. She was an attractive black-haired girl, though she couldn't hold a candle to Bulma in his opinion. It looked like they had a lot of fun together. There were goofy pictures and great pictures of the two of them at different events. In all of them, Bulma looked happy and healthy, just as he had remembered her. He continued scrolling through with interest and noticed a bunch of pictures of Bulma with some guy with long hair and a scar on his face. He assumed this must have been the guy she had alluded to who had been unfaithful to her. _What a goof!_ He thought to himself. He frowned as he studied one picture of them together. The man had a possessive hold around her waist and he noticed that though Bulma was smiling, but it wasn't a smile that reached her eyes. He scrolled through a few more and made the same observation, though she was smiling and at first glance seemed happy enough, he could tell she really wasn't.

 _What the hell had she seen in that guy?_ He wondered briefly as he continued to scroll through. He shook his head. He stopped and observed a picture of just Bulma wearing a tight blue sweater dress that perfectly accentuated her flawless figure. She must have been heading out for a special function because her hair and makeup was flawless. He studied it for a moment and then sighed. She had been a true beauty; both on the inside and out. Before he let his thoughts get carried away, he continued on.

He found pictures of an older man in a lab coat with purple hair and Bulma standing next to him also wearing a lab coat, her hair pulled up into a high ponytail and looking very professional. They looked like they were presenting a project of some sort at a convention or a meeting. He studied the older man and thought he looked vaguely familiar. He wondered briefly if this was her father? She had mentioned that he had been taken when her planet was purged. He was certain he had seen him. Maybe on Frieza's ship? That had to be it. He couldn't place where exactly or under what context, but the man was definitely familiar to him. He would have to keep an eye out for him once he returned to Frieza's ship.

Vegeta finished looking through the pictures and found another application with video footage. The music stopped as he selected one. There was Bulma, wearing a pair of very short white shorts and blue tank top. She was grinning and had the huge black dog sitting in front of her looking at her expectantly.

"Alright, ready?" She asked, looking into the camera.

"Yeah." Came a male voice.

"Okay. Please accept this video submission for the bark contest. This is my dog, Cable. I will ask him to bark, which he will do as per the contest instructions." Bulma said, gesturing to the huge dog. "Cable, Riviere!" She said to him and the dog began to bark non-stop at her. Bulma grinned and chuckled at the camera.

"Alright, enough, B." the voice on the other side said irritatingly.

"No, not yet. I want a full minute! We'll win for sure!" She replied shaking her head. "Good boy!" she coaxed the dog, who was still barking at her.

After another several more seconds, she asked the dog to stop and praised him enthusiastically and fed him something from her pocket. Vegeta smirked as he watched the dog take it gently from her hand, which could have easily fit into his mouth. The dog looked like he outweighed her by a good sixty or seventy pounds. He shook his head and went to the next one.

There was Bulma on a stage with the lavender-haired older man. It was the same as some of the pictures he had scrolled through. They were presenting what looked like a large ship. He watched fascinated as they both took turns explaining different features. Vegeta wondered if this was that project she had done but hadn't been able to complete before her planet was purged.

He could not help but smile as she enthusiastically went through everything. He had always thought she looked so beautiful when she was explaining some sort of project. She was animated and her eyes lit up. Unfortunately, the audio quality wasn't very good so he couldn't understand much of what she was explaining.

The video ended and he went to the next one, which was another one of her and her father's presentation. He watched it and then frowned as the camera came around, revealing the scar-faced goof, wiggling his eyebrows and making a stupid face. The camera then panned over to where a very attractive woman was standing off to the side. She was wearing a short skirt and low cut top.

"Yamcha?!" an angry female voice hissed. "Really?"

"What?!" he hissed back and panned the camera back to the stage where Bulma was still making her presentation. Vegeta shook his head and went to the next one.

He went through all of the videos. He wondered briefly why she had never shown them to him. Some of them were just silly. Her doing tricks with the dog, there were a bunch that were taken inside a laboratory and she was documenting progress on different projects. He smirked as he listened to her voice. There were a few of her friend doing martial arts stuff. _Impressive for a human._ He thought. He was intrigued by one or two videos with her and the fool called Yamcha. She always looked so stiff and uncomfortable with him and he was always trying to pull her closer to him or kiss her, which she was always subtly pulling away or would turn her face away so he would end up kissing her cheek instead. When he would object, she could come back with a light hearted retort. _That had never been the case with us._ He thought to himself in dismay.

When he was done the videos, the music came back on where it had left off and he laid there for a bit listening to it. He really liked it and made note to learn how to find it another time. This Mozart Requiem Mass suited his mood. He finished the whole thing and was almost disappointed when something completely different started. He took that as his cue that his break time was over and decided to do more training in the Gravity Room.

_**Exactly one and a half days later…** _

Bulma and Kakarott sat on a patio on planet Bellatrix. They were enjoying a nice drink and meal. If there was no sign of Vegeta by tomorrow morning, they would head back home again. Kakarott was extremely anxious to get back. He and Chi-Chi had finally taken the plunge and were happily mated and bonded. She was pregnant with their first child. She was four months along now and already as big as a house. Bulma was more than thrilled for her two best friends but couldn't help but feel the slight pang of sadness.

Vegeta had made it perfectly clear that he did not want her getting pregnant ever. At the time, she had been alright with it, but now seeing how happy her friend was gave her second thoughts. Kakarott was a doting husband, giving into her friend's every whim and desire. She shook her head as he never seemed to mind doting on her no matter how ridiculous the request. Chi-Chi had come with them on a few of their missions but once Kakarott had found out she was pregnant, he refused to allow her to accompany them, much to Chi-Chi's displeasure. She hated being left behind every two weeks for a few days.

Bulma wondered how Vegeta would have reacted if she had gotten pregnant. Would he be as sweet as Kakarott had been to Chi-Chi or would he have been angry? She wondered what he would have thought if she'd had a child and then found him now. Hmm. No, she'd still be pregnant. Still, she wondered what his reaction would have been?

She sighed and ran her fingers through her short blue hair. She had cut it a few months back in an elegant chin-length bob that was shorter in the back than it was in the front. It was too hot both here and on their now home planet of Callisto**. She was considering cutting it even shorter, the heat wave today becoming too much for her. She wore a light weight pink tank top and white shorts.

"So, do you think anyone's coming?" She asked. This whole thing was beginning to feel hopeless. Ever since she woke up this morning, she had a very anxious feeling. She wasn't sure why.

"I don't know." Kakarott shrugged. It had been two days since their last bomb. It had been in a major artery as well. They had stayed away from bombing areas that would cause much damage but had decided to up their efforts in hopes that Lord Frieza would send Vegeta to deal with this. "I'm very surprised he hasn't sent Vegeta. He's sent the Ginyu Force twice, so we've definitely caught his attention. Vegeta would have to be the next step in his effort to figure this out short from coming here himself."Bulma nodded. Usually they arrived at night and she and Kakarott waited near the ship docks. So far nothing.

"Well, I'm done here. I'm going to take a shower and get ready to wait. Meet you at the docks in about an hour?"

"Sure thing. Just be careful." Kakarott nodded.

Bulma headed up the stairs where her hotel room was this time. They chose a different hotel each time and wore different disguises as well so no one would be suspicious. This time, Bulma chose a shoulder-length Cleopatra-style wig. She put on a flattering blue loose chiffon halter dress that was tight in the bust and loose and flowy down past her waist down to her knees.

She finished showering and getting herself ready. She ran down the stairs and walked carefully down the street. This hotel wasn't far from the docks. She saw Kakarott waiting and sitting casually on a bench.

"Want to get some food?" he asked.

"We just ate." Bulma replied.

"I know, but I'm still hungry and I like this place because we can get a clear view of everyone arriving." Kakarott argued.

"Alright, alright." Bulma sighed, following him into the restaurant and onto the patio.

"You've barely eaten." Kakarott replied as Bulma ordered only a drink to settle her nerves.

"I'm not hungry. I have a good feeling this time." She confessed. "My stomach has been in knots this whole day. I'm really certain he's coming. I wasn't sure, but in the last few hours, it's like I can feel him. I don't know if that's true or just in my head due to wishful thinking."

"You could be right." Kakarott shrugged. "You should be able to feel him. However, given the circumstances and him blocking you out all together, it would make it very difficult for you. You never know though! Let's hope you're right."

The two continued to sit in companionable silence together; Bulma's anxiety climbing by the moment. She really hoped it was because he was on his way. She didn't think she could take much more of this.

Bulma began to think of what she would say to him when she saw him. She had run through this scenario a thousand times over in her head. She had dreamt up every possible scenario from running up to him and into his arms and kissing him within an inch of his life to smacking him for putting her through so much these past months and then leaving him to come find her with the knowledge that she was alive and well. She had no idea. She just hoped with every fiber of her being that he was coming this time. She could not stand this any longer.

"Bulma?" Kakarott said, reaching over the table to touch her hand, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?" She replied. He had a funny look on his face.

"Look over there." He said nodding to the shipping dock.

Bulma turned to look, and there he was. She held her breath as she watched him walk into the city. There was no mistake about it, it was him. He seemed different though. He looked older, more severe. Though, he was just as devastatingly handsome as ever. "Oh my God." She whispered. "Kakarot. What do I do?" She asked in panic as she watched him come closer, completely oblivious to their presence. She felt frightened. He did not look like he was in a good mood.

"Go with the plan." Kakarott said. "It should be easy. It looks like he's on his own. I don't sense anyone else. Go follow him. When he stops somewhere, talk to him."

"What if he tells me to get lost?" Bulma asked now feeling panicked. After all these months of nothing now that he was here, she couldn't move. She was so afraid he'd reject her even after knowing she was alive and well. What if he didn't want her anymore? Then what?

"He won't." Kakarott grinned. "Just go with the plan. I'll keep an eye on you and if I need to talk some sense into him, I will. Now go, before you lose him."

Bulma nodded. "If this works, I don't know…"

"I will meet you at the ship tomorrow morning." He replied with a knowing look. "Now go. Make the best of it. Now's your chance."

Bulma straightened out her wig and dress nervously, and left the restaurant. She nervously headed down the street and followed him. He was walking at such a brisk pace she had to nearly jog to catch up to him. She hurried and watched him just in front of her. She decided to sneak down an alley way on her right and walk back up the street in the opposite direction so she would "accidentally" run into him. He was most likely heading to the hotel that all of Frieza's soldiers seemed to stay at when they came here, which was that way but he obviously didn't know he could cut across the alley way.

She took a deep breath and surged forward up the street and looked desperately for him. The street was quite busy, so she was hoping she hadn't missed him. Just as she was ready to give up, she spotted him.

Bulma discreetly meandered through the crowd so that she was walking head on towards him. He would have no choice but to talk to her. Her heart pounded as they walked closer and closer to each other. This was it. Finally. She had to make sure to convince him to come see her. What if he didn't though? _Oh god._ She thought to herself, he was just feet away from her.

She looked away to the right as if she were observing something interesting and walked right into him.

"Would you watch where you're going, you stupid woman?" he bellowed at her angrily.

"I am sorry, sir." She replied nervously looking right at him. He looked so angry; the look he was giving sent a wave of fear down her spine.

He paused for a moment and looked right into her eyes. He blinked a few times in what Bulma hoped was recognition, but her heart sank as confusion clouded his features and then he scowled dangerously at her. "Whatever." He mumbled and kept going.

"Hey, wait!" Bulma said, shaking her head and remembering the plan. She turned quickly and grabbed his arm.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed, yanking his arm back viciously and turning angrily at her. "You dare to touch me?"

"I am sorry, sir." Bulma rambled; she had never been on this side of his temper. He looked like he was going to strike her. "I have an urgent message for you though."

"What's that?" He growled furiously.

"Bulma sends her regards." She said quickly, handing him a small piece of paper and running up the street and losing herself through the crowd before she could read his response. She just hoped with every fiber of her being that this worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *AUTHORS NOTE FUN FACT: The Planet Bellatrix is one of the planets part of the Orion Constellation. It is the third brightest star in the Orion Constellation and known to be the 27th brightest star in the night's sky. Bellatrix's luminosity is derived from its high temperature rather than its radius. It serves as Orion's left shoulder. Bellatrix is also Latin for "Female Warrior".
> 
> This is apparently a massive star with an estimated age of 20million years and has about 8.4 times the mass of the Sun and the effective temperature of the outer envelope of this star is 22,000 K which is considerably hotter than the 5,778 K on the Sun. This high temperature gives this star the blue-white hue. I chose it because it has high heat temperatures. I thought it would be appropriate and I wanted to find something real rather than make it up, though I did make up all that stuff about being able to harvest fuel. Also, I learned something today too! :D I thought I'd share it with you all. All information courtesy of Wikipedia and thank you Ancient Aliens for covering a bunch of stuff on Orion while I was working on this story and piquing my interest enough to do some digging. My husband loves that show and happened to be watching it while I was working on this. Normally I don't pay much attention, but today learned something interesting!
> 
> **AUTHORS NOTE FUN FACT II: The planet of Callisto is the eighth moon of Jupiter. It was discovered by by Galileo and Marius in 1610. Callisto is only slightly smaller than Mercury but only a third of its mass and is 60% rock and iron. Not sure what I'm going to do with that, if anything. Just thought it was interesting. Unfortunately the other 40% is apparently ice, but I've decided it's a tropical planet for my story. Just go with it- at least it exists..
> 
> All info courtesy of Wikipedia


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 21** _

Bulma discreetly meandered through the crowd so that she was walking head on towards Vegeta. He would have no choice but to talk to her. Her heart pounded as they walked closer and closer to each other. This was it. Finally. She had to make sure to convince him to come see her. What if he didn't though? _Oh god._ She thought to herself, he was just feet away from her.

She looked away to the right as if she were observing something interesting and walked right into him.

"Would you watch where you're going, you stupid woman?" he bellowed at her angrily.

"I am sorry, sir." She replied nervously looking right at him. He looked so angry; the look he was giving sent a wave of fear down her spine.

He paused for a moment and looked right into her eyes. He blinked a few times in what Bulma hoped was recognition, but her heart sank as confusion clouded his features and then he scowled dangerously at her. "Whatever." He mumbled and kept going.

"Hey, wait!" Bulma said, shaking her head and remembering the plan. She turned quickly and grabbed his arm.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed, yanking his arm back viciously and turning angrily at her. "You dare to touch me?"

"I am sorry, sir." Bulma rambled; she had never been on this side of his temper. He looked like he was going to strike her. "I have an urgent message for you though."

"What's that?" He growled furiously.

"Bulma sends her regards." She said quickly, handing him a small piece of paper and running up the street and losing herself through the crowd before she could read his response. She just hoped with every fiber of her being that this worked.

Vegeta frowned heavily and watched the strange woman take off through the crowd in confusion. Something about her; those eyes. He _knew_ those eyes and without further thought quickly followed after her. She hadn't gotten very far. Once he reached an arm's length away from her he reached out and grabbed her.

Bulma squealed. _Shit!_ She thought to herself in panic. This was not part of the plan. He grabbed her and shoved her roughly against a brick wall, ignoring the attention he was drawing to them.

"Who are you and how do you know that name?" he growled dangerously.

"I. I am. I'm-" She stuttered in fear.

"Speak up!" he bellowed, shaking her.

"I am only a messenger." She replied, refusing to look at him. If she did, she would blow her cover. They could not do this here. Not now out in the open. It was not safe. "Please, follow the directions in the note I gave you."

"And why would I do that?" he scoffed.

"Please, just do it. For her." She pleaded. "I promise. You'll be glad you did. She lives."

Vegeta glared at her dangerously, very unsure of what to make of this woman. He loosened his grip on her and took her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

Despite knowing it was a bad idea, Bulma boldly looked back at him fearlessly. They stared at each other for a long moment, neither one saying a word. She could not read him. His features were stone cold, not giving anything away. He had changed so much in the last eight months! His neck and shoulders looked broader and thicker than she remembered. There was no warmth to him; his features harsh and more drawn together, yet he was still as handsome as she remembered.

Vegeta continued to look at this woman in wonder; her eyes seemingly pleading with him for something. He did not want to admit it; he did not want to succumb to wishful thinking for the impossible but for the moment he allowed wishful thinking to overrule everything else. He knew those eyes. He even recognized the familiar scent. "Woman?" he asked her almost breathlessly as he slowly processed this information.

"Hello." She replied in relief, her voice cracking with emotion. He had figured it out.

He frowned at her. "What the hell? How?"

"Vegeta, not here." she said to him quietly. Thankfully no one had taken much interest in them. Those who had been gawking had gotten bored.

"Where?" he asked, looking at her as though he was looking at a ghost. He looked lost.

"Follow the directions I gave you." She replied. _Oh, God. This is so hard._ She thought to herself. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and never let him go, but they could not do this here. "Come find me and I will explain everything."

"It is you." Vegeta said. It was a statement of confirmation, not a question. He could not believe this.

"It is." Bulma nodded, trying to keep her own emotions in check. "We can't do this here."

Vegeta nodded in understanding and let her go. He looked down at the piece of paper she had given him, thankful he had not dropped it. _Come to the Tri-star Inn. Room 205. In one hour. Do not delay._

"See you then." She said, slipping away from him, leaving him standing there in wonder and watching her disappear into the crowd.

Vegeta continued down his original path. He had to check into his hotel and then to Lord Frieza. He decided to shower and change and then hurry to where the note said to be. He shook his head repeatedly. _How could this be?_ He kept asking himself.

_**One hour later…** _

Bulma had gotten herself ready. She had brushed her hair into place flawlessly and redid her makeup, keeping it tastefully not over done. She even changed her clothes. She was wearing a beautiful nude and black lace off the shoulder dress, giving the appearance that she was naked underneath the lace. It came down to just above her knee and had gathers on one side, flattering her figure.

She had a small meal and a bottle of wine brought up for them and was now waiting impatiently for him to arrive, pacing the room nervously. He wasn't due to arrive for another twenty minutes. What was she going to do for another twenty minutes? Her stomach was in knots. What if he decided not to show up? Or what if he didn't want her anymore? She gasped as she heard a knock on the door.

Bulma raced to the door and opened it slowly. She was relieved to see it was Vegeta. He looked as regal as ever, wearing a black flight suit underneath his formal armor. "Hi."

"Hi." He replied looking at her strangely, taking in her appearance. She had cut all her hair off. She was still breathtakingly gorgeous though.

"You're early." She said awkwardly.

"I am." He nodded. "Are you going to let me in or should I leave and come back later?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, no! Don't go. Please," Bulma said awkwardly, gesturing to for him to come in. "Come in. I ordered some food and some wine." She said, closing the door.

He watched her closely. This was crazy. He was almost half expecting her to vanish at any moment, that this was just another game his mind was playing with him. He could not help but notice how beautiful she looked in that dress. She was just as striking as he had remembered; still delicate and feminine as always. He noticed almost immediately that her arms were nicely toned and her posture was better. _Good. Maybe she was still training._ He thought to himself. She looked well and that relieved him.

Bulma smiled shyly, not knowing what to say to him. She went to grab them both a glass of wine. "Here." she replied handing him a glass.

He took it and took a sip, still watching her skeptically. "How?" he asked her, so quietly she had to strain her ears to hear him. "I saw. I saw the ship get blown up. I tried for days to reach you through the bond."

"When you told me to go, that your father and Lord Frieza had discovered you, I tried to leave the ship to help you." Bulma started.

"I told you to leave." He growled.

"I know, but I couldn't." she shrugged. "I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you. I tried to leave to help you but Kakarott knocked me out and placed me inside an escape pod and then left. Bardock warned him that Frieza may blow up the ship, so he set it on autopilot and made it to the same escape pod he had placed me in and programmed it to head to Vegas.

"Apparently it was rough, and it barely made it through the turbulence of the blast, but we made it. We landed there-"

"One week later." Vegeta murmured in understanding, dreading having to now confront his gross error.

"Right." Bulma nodded. "I did try to let you know."

Vegeta looked down at his feet. "Bardock told me he had warned Kakarott. I tried for a week to get a hold of you and felt nothing. What was I to think?" he replied sharply. "After I saw the ship blown, I was beaten and ridiculed then denied any medical attention for two days. After which I found myself on Frieza's ship and subjected to having to go along with whatever he wished."

"I'm sorry. I tried." Bulma said. "I tried and you shut me out."

"I know." He snapped.

"Why?" she asked. "Why would you do that?"

"I did what I thought was the right thing at the time." He replied.

"Alright. I understand that, but I tried for months, Vegeta."

"I thought you were haunting me."

Bulma shrugged. "I guess in a way, I was. But at some point you had to wonder-"

"I did what I did so as to not lose myself in my grief." He snarled at her. "Bulma, I saw you blown up. I assumed after no response from you, that you were gone. It felt to me like we had never bonded. Then when I did hear you, I assumed it was the effects of the bond being severed or that perhaps you were haunting me from the afterlife."

"But I begged and pleaded with you." Bulma argued. "Surely you felt something?"

"No." he replied, shaking his head. "I put up a wall in an attempt to sever our bond and anything I did hear I simply ignored."

"I know." Bulma replied harshly, crossing her arms. "Do you even know how much that hurt? That I could feel your anxiety and sadness and anguish but to not be able to comfort you because you decided to put up a wall and ignore a bond we forged?"

Vegeta shrugged. "What do you want me to say? I did what I did and what is done cannot be undone."

"That's it?" Bulma snipped at him. "Vegeta, you have no idea what I have been through over this!"

"And you have no idea the kind of hell I have been through these past eight months!" he snarled back. "I thought the only person whom I have ever given a damn about was dead after mere hours of consummating our union. I have had to limit my training to keep my ultimate potential hidden all this time to keep anyone else from knowing. I have my father breathing down my neck to mate with someone I loathe with a passion, which by the way, it was her that saw you and Kakarott board the ship and went running to my father and Lord Frieza so they knew all along that I had attempted to send you away. You have her to thank for all this. If it hadn't been for her, you and Kakarott would have been long gone before anyone had noticed and all of this could have been avoided.

"I have been sent to hell and back on every vile mission Lord Frieza could conjure up for me. You cannot fathom the things I have had to do; the pillaging and destroying of planets, murdering entire families. Things I swore to never do again after I left that miserable bastard the first time. I have had to endure all of that and put up with all of his sick innuendoes and act as though I am alright with it, pretending to be loyal when all I can think about is destroying him. All because my father consented that I return to that life as punishment for taking you as my mate. And on top of everything else, I have lived these last eight months in anguish with the thought that I had failed you-"

"You didn't fail me." Bulma interrupted. She was nearly in tears at hearing everything he had been through. How had everything gone so wrong? It was so unfair! He didn't deserve this.

"Let. Me. Finish. Before you go running off at the mouth." He growled. "I have spent these last eight months agonizing over everything I could have done different so that you could have been safe. I have blamed myself repeatedly. That one time I spoke with you I vowed to you that I would take care of everyone who had caused this. I blocked you afterwards so as to not allow you to be a distraction to me and from my goal in avenging both Kakarott and yourself. I am nearly ready to destroy all of those who have wronged us.

"I now find out that you are very much alive and well after eight months of believing otherwise. Think what you want, but that grief and hatred kept me very much alive and motivated. Until today, I believed that it was that hatred that kept me alive and kept me from succumbing to the depression of a severed bond. I guess I was wrong in more ways than one, but I will not apologize for it. I blocked you out to keep myself focused instead of pitifully wallowing like some fool. That is why I did what I did and I would do it again."

"Even if you knew I was alive?"

"What does that even matter at this point, Woman?" He asked angrily. "I have told you before that personal attachments are nothing but a nuisance and that I can never afford to have any sort of personal attachment to anyone. I quite vividly remember having that conversation with you before I let myself develop any foolish sentiments to you.

"I allowed myself that luxury and look where it got me? Never mind that, look where it got you? Nearly needlessly killed! It left me in a state of depression I would have mocked anyone for having before I met you. It is something that has been beaten into me since my mother passed, and now I understand it completely: Emotional attachments are nothing more than a weakness and should never be allowed."

Bulma nodded, trying to both hold back the tears she felt threatening to fall and process everything he had just said in his angry tirade. "So you regret everything. Everything that we shared and what I thought we meant to each other. You regret all of it."

Vegeta huffed and shook his head. "I never said that."

"You might as well have!"

"Out of everything I just told you, that is what you got out of it?" he asked in disbelief.

"No, not out of _everything_ , but I got that loud and clear, Yeah."

"Woman." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Bulma. I do not regret you or anything we shared. I do not regret the decision to take you as my mate. I was very proud to take you as my mate; I even told my father as much in front of Lord Frieza, Asia and all of the elders. What I regret is what happened and the weakness my caring for you has created in me."

"Well, I don't see how it's a weakness since you said my supposed death fueled you all these months. You said you had to struggle to hide your full power now and that you are nearly ready to face them, so I assume you ascended and are able to change into what I saw easily now? How could I possibly be perceived as a weakness to you if you thinking I was dead fueled you to make that much progress in such a short time?"

"I have ascended." He nodded, ignoring her question.

"Good." Bulma said. "I'm glad you finally reached your goal. I am sorry it wasn't under better circumstances."

They sat there in silence for several moments, neither one knowing what to say to the other. Vegeta sighed and slowly walked up to her, "I am glad you are alright." He said looking intensely at her.

"Thanks to Kakarott, I am." She said, feeling nervous as he approached her. Now that he had opened up to her everything he had been through these past months, she noticed an almost half crazed look in his eyes. He had told her when they had first met that he had barely left Frieza's service the first time with his sanity intact. She wondered briefly how much of a toll this go round had taken on him. He needed to get out of there. Maybe there was a way he could leave with her. She feared what it would do to him if he had to stay any longer.

Vegeta nodded, once again looking her over. "How is the clown?"

"He's good!" Bulma said with a smile, avoiding his heated gaze. "He mated with a friend of mine and they are expecting their first child. He's here too and is very anxious to see you as well."

Vegeta nodded again and quickly reached for her, pulling her up against him harshly before she had a chance to react. He could not stand it any longer; he had to touch her. He studied her silently, with an unreadable expression on his face. He bent down and kissed her gently on the lips, waiting for her to respond.

Bulma kissed him back. Carefully at first and then opened her mouth, allowing him access, which he took immediately, sliding his tongue into her mouth. She moaned as he kissed her deeply and longingly as though his very life depended on it. She reached up and placed a hand on the side of his face and kissed him back with just as much intensity. Oh, how she'd missed this! Missed him; the feeling of having his strong arms around her. She relished the feeling of kissing him and being in his arms again, where everything was right and exactly as it should be and nothing else mattered but being with him. Why couldn't their life be just this simple? No Frieza, no King or Asia coming between them; no one and nothing. None of it mattered. She sighed into him as he deepened the kiss even further, crushing her against him.

"I need you." He murmured, pulling her out of her thoughts and remembering their discussion just moments ago.

"No, you don't." she replied, pushing him away suddenly. "I thought I was nothing more than a weakness."

Vegeta growled at her. "You are."

"Then you don't need me." She replied firmly, stepping away from him.

"Bulma," he sighed angrily. "You know what it is I feel for you. If it is foolish declarations you are looking for, you will be disappointed."

"You're right, I don't need foolish declarations. I do know how you feel," Bulma agreed. "But I refuse to stand here and let you make me feel like I am nothing but a weak burden to hold you back one minute and then let you take me to bed the next. It doesn't work that way."

Vegeta shook his head and exhaled in frustration. "Well, then you should have worn a different dress." he replied almost petulantly.

Bulma smiled at him and blushed at the obvious compliment and crossed her arms. "I am serious, Vegeta. We need to work this out once and for all. This isn't the first time you've hurt me by telling me I am nothing more than a weakness to you."

"What do you want me to say, Woman?" he asked in an exasperated tone, she was really wearing his patience thin.

"That I am not a weakness to you." She stated simply. "If you can't even say that then I will be happy with you even just acknowledging that I am at least a complement you."

"If you can be used against me by my enemy, that makes you a weakness to me. If you consume every thought of mine, distracting me from what must be done, that makes you both a distraction and weakness to me." He replied coldly. "I do not have room in my life for it. I cannot have weaknesses or distractions."

"Well you should have thought about that before you decided to take me as your mate!" she snapped at him.

"You are absolutely right." He agreed. "I should have thought about it."

Bulma nodded at him, completely hurt at how this reunion had gone. "So, you do regret it then?"

Vegeta shook his head. He did not understand what she was getting at. Couldn't she see what she did to him? How much it killed his pride to be reduced to what he had become these last eight months? All because of the loss of a weak frail human woman. It was pathetic. "I do not."

"Then what's the problem?"

"You wish me to throw away my pride and everything I am just to make you feel good about yourself!" He replied angrily. "That is what I resent. That I bore to you my soul that night we bonded against my better judgment and against everything I was raised to believe and yet you still doubt my feelings for you. You cast aside my admission at what losing you did to me."

"No, I don't." she replied. "I don't doubt you or what you feel and I certainly do not mean to demean your pride or anything that you have been through these past several months."

"Then what is your dilemma?"

"I don't understand how you can just brush aside the fact that you so easily dismissed me." She said. "You act as though it was no big deal."

"I thought you were dead, were you not listening?" he growled.

"I understand that, I do. What I don't understand is how you can act like doing such a thing wasn't a big deal. Do you have any idea what that did to me? I understand you thought it was the effect of a severed bond and you might have thought you were going crazy, I get that. What you don't know is that you putting up a wall and blocking me put me through hell these past eight months. I know it was not intentional on your part, but that doesn't change how much it hurt. I may not have been sent on missions of destruction or endured whatever horribleness you faced at the whim of a madman, but you blocking me and severing anything you could of our bond hurt me more than you can ever know." She said, trying to keep her emotions under control. "I'm not only talking about emotionally. Emotionally it was devastating; but even physically it pained me. There were days I could not get out of bed, Vegeta. I have tried for months to not only get to you through our bond but to find you and now that I have, you come here and tell me what a weakness I am to you after everything you have accomplished because of everything that has happened. I will not stand here and act like I am the only reason. I am not that selfish. But I know my presence in your life helped you to accomplish it a little sooner. You yourself even marveled that night we made love that your need to protect me at all costs was what helped you reach your full potential and annihilate Zarbon as efficiently as you had. I know that compared to you I am weak. I get that, but to say that I am nothing but a weakness to you hurts me more than anything."

Vegeta stood there, silent for a few minutes taking in everything she had just said; his face and eyes completely void of any emotion what so ever. He shrugged. "What is it you want me to say?"

Bulma shook her head. He was so far gone from the man she had known eight months ago. He was so withdrawn and angry that he could not understand. If she had thought he was difficult to read or unable to express his feelings before, he definitely couldn't now. "I don't know." She said honestly, and she didn't. She just did not want him to think of her as a weakness to him. Was that such a bad thing? "You don't have to say anything."

She walked slowly to him and touched the side of his face. She remembered her vow to him back on the beach. She had vowed to accept everything that he was no matter what life threw at them. If that meant learning to deal with the fact that he saw her as a weakness, then so be it. Before all of this he had mentioned it here and there but he had never treated her or made her feel that way. She had assumed he didn't really mean it. After they opened up the bond and he showed her the depths of his feelings for her, she knew he didn't actually think that, but now after everything that had happened, she could understand in a way where he was coming from. He was a strong proud warrior from a race that ridiculed and shunned love, emotions and personal attachments of any kind. That losing her affected him that strongly must have really shaken him up. He was ashamed. It wasn't something that Bulma understood, but she would not turn him away. Not now after finally finding him. She could see it in his eyes and the way he carried himself that he was barely keeping his sanity together; who knew what he had really been through these past eight months. He would never actually tell her everything. She could have wept at the bitter angry person she saw he had become since the last time they were together, but she knew he would only be offended and take it as an insult and a further stab against his pride.

Bulma could tell by the way he was looking at her that he really did need her. She was wrong to have pushed him away earlier. She had let her own emotions and pain get the better of her and that was a mistake she would not repeat. She berated herself in her selfish actions just now. The mere fact that he had actually said that he needed her should have told her he was not okay. What had she even been thinking in pushing him away? She was thankful he was even still here. He could have just left. That he didn't spoke volumes. He needed her just as much as she needed him and she would be here for him always, just as she had vowed to be.

She kissed him chastely on the lips, placing both her hands on either side of his face and looked into the black depths of his eyes. "You are right." She said confidently. "None of that other stuff matters now. What's done is done and cannot be undone."

"Hmmn." He growled. "Of course I am right." He replied, pulling her into him and crashing his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back desperately with a fiery passion.

"Vegeta," she said between kisses. "I need you too." she said, her voice cracking in emotion she had been holding back since he walked in to the room. He picked her up and unceremoniously dropped her on the bed on the other end of the room. He began to remove his armor and flight suit quickly. Within seconds he was completely naked before her at the end of the bed.

**Warning: Adult content only. If you are too young to be reading this or are not comfortable, feel free to skip this part…**

Bulma sat up on her knees and crawled up to him so that they were eye level. She took in his changed physique. He was bigger than before, but still compact and flawless. She delicately slid her hands from his neck down his perfectly sculptured chest and stopped where the chain and black onyx ring hung and looked back up at him. He still had it?

"It was the only reminder I kept of you. I have not taken it off since I left Vegeta-sei." He said.

She smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, kissing him again and trying to pull him down with no such luck. She looked at him questioningly. He pulled down the one sleeve of her dress. Realizing that's what the problem was, she pulled it back up and grabbed the bottom, quickly pulling it up and off over her head, revealing she had been wearing no undergarments underneath.

Vegeta growled in approval. "Vulgar woman." He said and let her pull him down on top of her as they kissed each other frantically. He had originally wanted to savor this moment and wanted to take a long time, making love to her slowly and gently like he had their first time but right now the desperate need he had to have her right then and there took over all other thought. He had all night to be with her and he planned on spending the night making her his all over again, erasing whatever silly doubts she seemed to have. He stood back up and pulled her roughly to him so that he was positioned between her legs and her feet were dangling off the edge of the bed. He leaned over her and slid a hand down between her legs, confirming that she was ready. Oh, yes, she was more than ready for him. He threaded each of his hands through hers and pinned them above her head and entered her quickly in one thrust. He hadn't meant to thrust into her so hard, but he could not help himself.

Bulma moaned loudly as he roughly entered her. It hurt her but she did not care. She just wanted him. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, bringing him down closer to her. He kissed her deeply as he began to move inside of her hard and fast, demanding everything from her. He was trying to hold back so that this would be as pleasurable for her as it was for him, but decided he would make it up to her later.

She arched her back trying to keep up with the quick pace he had set, meeting each deep thrust as he continued to drive into her at an almost inhuman pace over and over again without let up. She closed her eyes tightly moaned his name as she began to feel waves of intense pleasure washing through her despite the pain of the rough way he was taking her. Their first night together had been nothing like this, but her desperate need for him combined with his need for her was driving them both to a very quick release.

Bulma cried out his name again as she reached her climax and convulsed against him, sending him into his own release. He lost all coherent thought as he thrust into her deeply one last time, surrendering himself to her. All thoughts of lost pride and her being a weakness to him lost to him in that moment. He collapsed on top of her, burying his face into her neck.

Bulma lay spent beneath him, trying to catch her breath. She carefully untangled her right hand from his and gently ran her fingers through his thick dark hair. They both laid there in silence. He finally withdrew and looked at her in wonder.

She sat up and looked at him. "I'm not going anywhere, ever again. Not without you." She said. The look in his eyes telling her he was half anticipating her to vanish before him. She took his hand and scooted back up the other end of the bed, pulling him along with her, relieved that he let her.

He nearly pounced on her, capturing her lips and kissing her deeply. "I did not hurt you, did I?"

"You were a little rough, but no. I'm fine," she replied wrapping a leg around his waist in an attempt to draw him closer to her. She wanted him again.

He looked down at her, scarcely believing that not only was she alive and had found him but that she was his to begin with; he had not meant to take her like that earlier. He would make it up to her and take his time now. He kissed her and entered her again, gently this time. He moved slowly inside her looking down at her and watching the way her face contorted in pleasure, loving the way she moaned his name as he thrusted slowly and deeply inside of her.

"Is this what you want?" he growled sensually into her ear and nipped at her jaw.

Bulma was past any and all coherent thought as wave upon wave of intense pleasure washed through her. She moaned back at him.

"Tell me what you want." He said as he began moving even slower within her, licking and nipping down her neck and groping one of her breasts.

"Faster." She moaned back to him and arching herself into him, feeling herself nearing her peak already.

He smirked at her and began to move even slower, torturing her.

"Please." She begged in frustration as he teased her.

"As you wish." He replied and began to move faster inside her.

Bulma moaned in frustration as he teased her. _Two can play at that game._ She thought evilly as she reached behind him and grabbed his tail.

Vegeta gasped in surprise at the feeling of her grabbing his tail. _Lusty, impatient woman!_ He cursed to himself. He could not help himself as be began to move faster into her and could feel his release coming quickly.

_**I heard that!**_ He heard her retort.

He looked down at her in surprise. He had thought he had all but severed everything that had been left of their bond. It apparently ran deeper than he had thought. He began to rock deeper and faster into her, completely at her mercy now that she had his tail. He had wanted to draw this out much longer, but apparently his little mate had other ideas.

They both cried out as they came together.

He smirked at her as he withdrew and pulled her close to him in the familiar embrace they had shared every night until this whole mess separated them. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and brought her close against his chest and took in her scent. Oh, how he had missed her. He exhaled deeply and squeezed her tightly in a nearly bone crushing embrace. They laid there in silence for a long time, just basking in each other's presence.

"I'm sorry." Bulma said to him. "I should not have gotten upset with you. And when I pushed you away, I didn't mean it. I was being selfish and was only thinking of my own pain. I will never do that to you again."

"Hmmn." He replied. "You cannot help your irrational, emotional female outbursts."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, not sure if she should be offended or not.

"It means what it means." He said, breathing in her scent again. "Tell me, where you have been all this time. Where did you and Kakarott go?"

"Well, we stayed at the tavern and I happened to run into my best friend, Chi-Chi from back home. Toma bought her after I left, but she didn't quite fit in there so he just let her go with us. She and Kakarott kind of hit it off and we found a guy who needed repairs done on his ship. He said if we paid for the repairs, he'd take us wherever we wanted to go. As luck would have it, I knew how to fix it and off we went. He took us to a planet called Callisto that is populated by a few different types of races. A guy buys slaves from the auctions and sends them there. We all live free and it's good. We've all made a home there."

Vegeta thought for a moment. "How did you know you guys weren't just walking into a slave labor planet?" he asked.

"We didn't. It didn't even occur to us to ask." Bulma shrugged. "He was from Earth too and seemed nice and honest enough. We had no reason to believe he was setting us up."

"There are many cases like that where stupid people who do not know any better come to a planet they are told is supposedly a haven and it is nothing more than a slavery boat. There is no way out. Stupid Kakarott!" he growled.

"It was fine, Vegeta. It's nothing like that, I promise. We've been there for six months. The three of us have a house together. It's alright. I might be looking to get a different one of my own once Chi-Chi has the baby." She said. She was happy for her friend, but she sometimes felt she was intruding on their privacy as a married couple. She knew they didn't mind having her there, but there were some days her loneliness and depression over leaving Vegeta was almost too much for her to handle and seeing the happy couple every day didn't help.

"That fool." Vegeta huffed. "Have you warned your friend?"

"I did, yeah but they're happy, so whatever."

"Idiots." Vegeta replied.

Bulma smirked. "It's not that bad. I have lots to keep me busy, actually. I can't wait for you to come see everything." she replied, shifting around in his arms so that she was facing him, deciding to let the baby issue drop for now. She did not want to spend another moment arguing with him tonight. She still could not believe he was here with her now. She had dreamed of this moment every night for eight months.

She touched the side of his face gently, his eyes still blank and guarded. He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers and holding her hand to his chest. "What have you been busy with?" he asked with interest.

"Well, there isn't anything for technology on this planet. So I have been putting my mind to work in helping advance them a little. It hasn't been easy since I have no tools or materials to build things, but Kakarott went out a few times and brought back stuff for me to make capsules so I began making them and either trading them for tools or selling them for money. When I haven't been doing that, I was busy with training."

"I noticed." He replied.

"Noticed what?"

"Your posture is much better, and your whole body is more toned. I noticed the posture and your arms immediately." He said. "You have been training with Kakarott I assume?"

"Yes. And Chi-Chi. She was really into martial arts before we were taken. She used to compete so they train together and I train with them in the morning and I also took up sword fighting with a guy down the road too!" She said proudly, hoping he would be pleased.

"Sword fighting?" he asked amused. "Not my preference, but a good choice for someone as weak as yourself." He said playfully, pleased that she had taken his insistence to learn to take care of herself seriously even though he had not been around.

"I knew you would think that." She replied. "And my favorite, I got two protection dogs. One was already trained and the other I got him as a puppy and have trained him all myself. They are both personal protection dogs for both myself and Chi-Chi and trained in property surveillance."

"What do you need dogs for if you have been training?" he huffed. He had heard of such things but never saw the point. A dog can easily be taken out by an enemy.

"For protection, and to warn us if someone is coming. They're very intimidating. If they don't know you, you aren't allowed on to the property unless we call them off."

"And all someone has to do is blast them. Done." Vegeta replied, obviously not impressed.

"Well, not many people living on that planet have ki like you and Kakarott. Most are humans. And even if someone does decide to blast them, it would still give us time to get away."

"Whatever you say." He sighed. If she was confident in them he would let the matter rest. She had survived this long.

"You'll meet them." Bulma said. "Aro brought Kakarott down to the ground with almost no effort the first time he met him. Now that Danger is nearly full grown and trained, I have trained one of them to go for the arm and the other to go for the knee, they can bring anyone down."

"Well Kakarott is a clumsy clown."

Bulma giggled at him. "Alright. Well, when you come, you can have a go at them and we'll see how you do. Just promise not to blast them, please."

"Hmmn. We'll see." He replied. "What else?"

"Nothing, really." She said, looking at him. "Just trying to find you is all, really. It took forever!"

"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning.

"Well, we knew we had to find you to somehow since you decided to build a mental wall." Bulma explained. "So Kakarott knew that Frieza highly valued this planet and we kinda started planting bombs here and hoped Frieza would eventually send you to deal with it. I guess after six months it paid off."

"That was you and Kakarott?" he asked tonelessly.

"Yea!" Bulma nodded.

"Do you have any idea how stupid that was?" he asked angrily. "Frieza is beyond pissed! He sent the Ginyu Force twice. He sends me now and demands I bring whomever is responsible back with me so that he may interrogate them personally."

Bulma shrugged. "Well, you can tell him you found the person responsible and punished them accordingly. I'll even let you give me a spanking." She replied teasingly, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"I am serious, Woman!" He bellowed. "This is not some game you decided to play and won. You are in serious trouble."

"I know, but it was the only way we could think of to let you know we were still alive. There is no technology on this planet of ours to have been able to contact you and even then to do so would not have been safe. This was the only way we could think of. Start an issue big enough that Frieza sends someone out to investigate and keep on with it until it is a big enough problem that he sends you. I knew you'd be his First Lieutenant. We did this every other week for six months and it has finally paid off." She said passionately. "We were careful, very careful; never stayed at the same hotel twice; I wore a different disguise every time we have done this. There is no way anyone could have traced us. We set a bomb, waited two days for someone to show up and once we saw it wasn't you, we left immediately. We didn't stick around long enough to even watch the investigation unfold."

Vegeta let go of her hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I really wish you hadn't done this. Of all the stupid ideas!"

"Vegeta, what other way was there?" she asked him. "You were too stubborn to listen to me and there was no safe way of contacting you. We had no other choice. Go and do an investigation tomorrow morning. Do it. I encourage you to. You won't find anything. There is nothing. No evidence."

"You do not understand." He growled. "You have just basically declared war on Lord Frieza. That's how he sees this. As an act of rebellion from some separatist movement. He expects me to handle this and bring him back someone for him to interrogate and believe me; you do not want to know what that means."

"I'm sorry. I just needed you to know we were alright."

"But at what cost, Woman?" he asked her, nearly frantically. "If you had been caught I would have been summoned and our next meeting would have been in Frieza's torture chamber. He would have taken great delight in making me watch. Stupid Woman!"

"We thought of everything, Vegeta!" Bulma said quickly, ignoring his harsh words. "Kakarott and I had a pact if we got caught we got caught together."

"Oh wonderful!" Vegeta spat. "I get to watch both my mate and former First Lieutenant tortured to death at the hands of that sick sadistic lizard!"

"So you would have rather we never found you?" she asked, frowning.

"No, I am glad you found me and that you are alright. I am angry though at the risk taken. More angry at Kakarott for allowing you to do such a thing. In doing that, he did not take his oath to protect you seriously."

"But he did!" Bulma insisted. "I never leave his sight. I was with him today and we both saw you leave the docks. He kept a close eye on me. He has protected me, Vegeta. I accused him of being disloyal to his Prince for refusing to help me help you that day we left Vegeta-sei. If it hadn't been for him knocking me out and placing me into an escape pod, who knows what would have happened."

"Stupid Woman and stupid Kakarott." He growled. "Maybe the two of you were more fit for one another."

"Don't be that way." she snapped at him. "We knew the risks going in and accepted them. I was more than willing. If it meant seeing you again, I was up for it."

"Without thinking how I would have felt about it." He cut in. "I was in anguish over what had happened to you, or what I had thought had happened to you. I made peace with it and accepted it. I assumed that you were safe and peaceful in another dimension or the afterlife and if the gods had any kind of mercy would reunite us once I finished off everyone responsible for killing you. The last thing I would have ever wanted was to know you had survived and then went and did something stupid and were then tortured to death by Frieza."

"What would you have had me do?"

"I do not know." He replied. He could not tell her to go and find another; he wouldn't be able to deal with that. "I would rather you be safe and be happy. Not risking your life to find me."

"But I wasn't happy without you."

Vegeta sighed. "I will let the matter drop this time, but if we are ever separated again for any reason, do not risk your life finding me."

Bulma nodded. "Well, we still have the bond, right? I mean, if you can't come with us now, we still have that, right?"

"Hmmn." He nodded. "We will need to rebuild."

"Alright, we can start now, if you like?" she said suggestively, grabbing his tail again. She felt him inhale sharply as she began to stroke it gently and lovingly.

"Woman," he growled. "I suggest you stop that, unless you want this over before we even begin." He said, taking his tail back and rolling on top of her.

Bulma giggled he looked down at her, with a deep frown. "You're no fun." She pouted.

"You are mine, Woman." He said, kissing her deeply, making her forget that anything but him existed in that moment.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta quietly left Bulma's room early the next morning. He snuck out while she was still asleep. He needed to find Kakarott. She had mentioned that he would be waiting for her on their ship.

He walked briskly down the street back to the ship docks. He could sense the clown's energy signal. It didn't take long and he found himself in front of a small ship. He knocked cautiously.

A moment later the door opened. "Hey, Vegeta!" Kakarott greeted. "How's it going? I'm glad to see you!"

"Hmmn." Vegeta growled and walked into the ship quickly; the less attention the better.

"So, you got in touch with Bulma I take it?" he asked with a silly grin.

"Of course I did!" he snapped. "What I do not understand is why you would let her go through with such a stupid plan as planting bombs all over the place here. Have you no sense?!"

"Of course I do. I was the one who actually came up with the idea." Kakarott shrugged, not understanding why Vegeta was so upset.

"I should have known." Vegeta said shaking his head angrily. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you both are in? I appreciate the effort and I am relieved you both are alright, but at what cost? If you both had been caught how do you think I would have felt meeting you two again in Frieza's torture chamber after months of thinking you both dead? He has asked that I find whoever is responsible and bring them back so that he can interrogate them personally. Kakarott, you know what he is capable of!"

Kakarott shrugged. "We were extremely careful, Vegeta. Bulma knows what she's doing. There was no way for us to get caught. Besides, it was my idea. If Bulma had gotten caught, I would have taken the fall for it. I would never let anything happen to her, you should know that."

"That is not the point! You put her in danger by allowing her to accompany you."

"Well what would you have had us do, Vegeta?" Kakarott asked, slightly annoyed. "You were the one who put up a block and shut her out completely. You have no idea how much that hurt her. I had to see her every single day like that so I came up with an idea to find you. It took a long time and yes, it was risky; but I would do it all again if it meant that you two would be reunited. I couldn't stand seeing her like that anymore."

"I know! She told me." He growled, hating to be reminded yet again that he had ignored her. "I made a mistake. I do not need your third class ass throwing it back into my face."

"Well, then get off my case." Kakarott said with a frown. "It worked, didn't it?"

Vegeta nodded, deciding to let the matter drop. "In the future, do not allow her to put herself into a dangerous situation. I do not care what it is or how much she pleads."

"Why would we have to worry about that now? Didn't you fix your bond last night?"

"No." Vegeta shook his head. "We need to rebuild. I had severed a great deal of it. I can hear her odd thought but that is it. I did not reopen it last night."

"Why not?" Kakarott asked, confused.

"Because I cannot afford having her as a distraction right now." He replied. "I also do not want her in my head. Not right now. Not with what I have done these past eight months. I do not want her privy to any of it."

"Does she know that, Vegeta?"

"No." he shook his head.

"Vegeta, Bulma is the last person who will ever judge you." Kakarott shrugged. "You'll just be hurting her all over again by doing this. That was the whole point of this. To show you that she was alive and then you two could reconnect and you would both be able to keep tabs on each other until everything is figured out; unless you are planning on leaving today with us."

"I cannot." Vegeta said, shaking his head. As much as he would have loved nothing more, it was not possible.

"Why not?" Kakarott asked. "There's plenty of room on this ship; Frieza wouldn't be able to track you. And he will never find you on the planet we are hiding out on. I hadn't even heard of it. It's just small. It has no technology so it wouldn't be of any use to him. Just leave with us."

"I cannot. Not while I am in the middle of a mission." Vegeta shook his head. He still hadn't worked out what he was going to tell Frieza about the bomb situation. The good news was it wouldn't be happening anymore. The bad news was that Frieza wasn't so stupid as to just think this problem miraculously disappeared. He was too pissed off about it to do that. He wanted answers and someone to punish.

"Well, why not after?" Kakarott suggested. "It's really not a bad place to stay. I like it there. We could resume training and sparring together. I am badly in need of someone to spar with that can actually challenge me. There isn't one person there that can."

"Great. A planet full of weaklings."

"Vegeta, there's nowhere else we can go. Not without someone notifying Frieza of our presence. Come back with us. Who cares about Lord Frieza and what he wants to know happened here. Just disappear with Bulma and I today."

While the thought was definitely appealing, there was something telling him to not do this. At least until he gave Frieza an excuse for what happened here. He could pretend like he was on his way back but just conveniently not make it back. Sell his ship on some planet and disappear after that.

"I cannot do that, but it won't be long. I will follow you both." Vegeta said. "How long until you leave today?"

"I was hoping to leave within a few hours. Before afternoon." Kakarott said. "I need to get back home. I have a mate of my own now too. She is pregnant."

"I heard." Vegeta replied dryly. "You make sure she is well taken care of. She may not last."

"I think she'll be fine, Vegeta. She's pretty strong." Kakarott said proudly.

"Hmmn. Still. It is far too risky. I hope you are right." He said leaving. "I will have Bulma back here before the afternoon.

"Thanks Vegeta. Try not to upset her."

"And why would I do that?" he asked, almost outraged.

"Just because she really cares a lot about you and I don't think you realize just how much." Kakarott said awkwardly. "I just don't like seeing her sad is all."

Vegeta grumbled something inaudible and left the ship. He headed back quickly to the hotel Bulma had been staying and made it back to her room. She must have been up already. He noted that there was breakfast on the table and he could hear the shower in the washroom. He was hungry and did need to eat but the thought of Bulma wet and naked in the shower brought on an urgent very different hunger within him that needed to be quenched first.

He stripped himself of his clothing and snuck into the bathroom as quietly as he could, smiling wickedly to himself. He snuck into the shower, shaking his head that she was completely oblivious to his presence. He watched her for a moment and then decided to ambush his prey; he wrapped one arm around her waist and one hand over her mouth, pulling her up against him.

Bulma shrieked in surprise but relaxed almost immediately, realizing who her attacker was. She moaned as he slid the hand on her waist down between her legs and began playing with her folds. Rubbing her gently and slipping his fingers inside her.

She surprised him as she opened her mouth and took two of his fingers into her mouth and began to suck and nibble on them suggestively. She arched her behind into him, teasing his already hard arousal as he continued to tease her most sensitive spot with his fingers. He let her go and turned her around, pushing her up against the wall of the shower. She hitched a leg around his muscular waist and sighed in contentment as he entered her, filling her up completely.

He began to move in and out of her and was entranced at the appearance of her breasts jiggling with every thrust he made into her. He decided that though the shower sex was nice, he couldn't quite move against her the way he wanted to. He wrapped his tail securely around her waist and grabbed her other leg so that both her legs were wrapped around his waist. Leaving himself still buried inside her, he placed both hands on her bum and carried them out of the shower, not caring that he had left the water running.

Vegeta laid her on the bed and began to rock into her quickly and deeply, enjoying the panting and moaning noises the small woman underneath him was making. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned his name repeatedly as she felt herself nearing her peak. He kissed and nipped his way up her jaw line and moaned her name into her ear. He then began to trail his mouth down her neck and kissed and sucked on the spot where he had bit her the night of their first coupling. He was just about to bite her again when he came back to his senses and instead kissed her deeply on the lips again. Sliding both his hands down her back to where her bottom was, he raised her up just a bit so she could take him in even deeper.

Bulma cried out his name as she came after only a few more deep thrusts from him. He slowed his pace, not wanting to reach his own completion just yet. He stopped moving and held himself up with his arms, watching her as she basked in the pleasure of her release. He smirked down at her, proud that he was the only one to have ever done this to her; the only one who would ever have her this way. He slowly pulled out of her and flipped her onto her stomach and entered her again slowly.

Bulma began panting again, completely overwhelmed by the intensity of the feelings he seemed to evoke within her as he moved in and out of her relentlessly in such a way that she had no choice but to surrender herself to the pleasure he was inflicting on her. This was so good! Better than any trashy romance novels she had read back in high school and much better than any of fantasies she had dreamed up of them together again. Oh how hard it would be to leave him after this! They had spent all night making love and refamiliarizing themselves with each other's bodies. How could she possibly leave him now and send him back to the hell of life on Frieza's ship? He didn't belong there. He belonged with her, just like she belonged with him at his side.

She reached for his right hand and slid it down between her legs, placing his fingers on her clit. He got the hint immediately and began stroking her.

Vegeta took her other hand and laced his fingers with hers as he continued to thrust into her a little harder now; he could feel his release building up quickly. Once again, he fought the urge to bite her again and rebuild their damaged bond. He felt a small twinge of guilt. Guilt for ruining it in the first place and guilt for not rebuilding it now that he had the chance these past twelve hours. Every instinct within him was urging him to do it, yet he could not. He would wait until he came to find her on her new home planet. Then when he could be with her, he would work on rebuilding their bond with her then; when he was free from distraction. Then they would be together like they were meant to be. He squeezed her hand gently as he came, spilling himself inside of her. He continued to thrust slowly, riding out his full release, which in turn allowed her her second climax that morning. He pulled out of her and wrapped his arms around her as she rolled over to face him.

"I love you," she said quietly, still trying to catch her breath. "I can't believe you're here."

"Hush, Woman." He growled, gently squeezing her. "Do not get all emotional on me."

"I'm sorry." She nodded. "I can't help it. I missed you so much. There were days where I wondered if I would ever see you again. Now that I have, I don't want to leave you. I can't."

"Yes you can." he replied dryly. "And you will. I went and spoke to Kakarott this morning. You will leave with him."

"I can't send you back, Vegeta. I just can't." she said sadly."It's ruining you. Maybe not yet, but it will. You can't stay there."

"I'll be fine. Stop your worrying. You act as though I am being sent to my death." He said with a frown. "I will leave soon enough. Once I figure out a way to cover up this mess you and Kakarott have created I will join you on that mud ball. I promise you that."

"Vegeta, why don't you just come now?" she said dejectedly. "Please? I need you."

"You'll be fine. You made it this far without me." He replied, trying to discourage her apparent neediness. Whether he liked it or not, he didn't like the idea of parting ways with her any more than she did. "I have to clean this up. I cannot just disappear. Frieza will send bounty hunters out to find me. Once I finish here I will tell him I am on my way back and then disappear; find a way to make it look like an accident so he will not be out searching for me."

"Can I stay here with you then?" she asked hopefully.

"Absolutely not." He replied without hesitation. "You will leave with Kakarott today."

"Why? I won't get in your way, I promise. While you're out, I'll stay here. No one will see me." She pleaded.

"No. I cannot risk it. Frieza has many spies here." he said, shaking his head. "You will leave. I will follow in a few short days. Then we can be together. We will rebuild our bond and things will be as they should be between us."

"Alright, fine. By the way, I did notice that you didn't reopen it." She said. "I know you wanted to, I felt your desire faintly through what is left of our bond and I felt you lingering around my neck and then you always stopped. Why?"

Vegeta sighed deeply, he did not want to get into this now. The only reason he even mentioned it was because he didn't want her thinking he had avoided it because he didn't want her. "It's complicated. Please trust me when I say I do want to rebuild it, but right now is not the right time."

"You still think I'm a weakness and distraction to you?" she asked bluntly, trying to hide the fact that even though she knew that was how he felt, it still hurt her feelings.

He nodded. "I know this upsets you, but for the time being I have to be focused. I know you will be alright with Kakarott. I have no doubts there. I now know that you are alive and well. That is all I need for now. When I return to you we will work on it." He said looking intensely at her. He did not want her to be hurt, but he truly believed this was what he needed at the moment. Now that he knew she was fine, he felt a huge burden lifted off his shoulders.

"Alright." She said quietly. "I don't like it and I don't understand it, but I will go along with it for now."

"We will be fine." He said confidently. "I cannot have you distracting me with your thoughts and I do not want you in my head right now."

"What does that mean, Vegeta?"

"It means that there are things I have done since we last saw each other that I am not proud of." He said awkwardly. "Trust me when I say you do not want to be in my head right now."

"I won't judge you if that's what you are worried about, Vegeta." She said. "I know you've killed and done bad things. I caught a glimpse the first night we were together and even witnessed you annihilate someone first hand. I didn't turn away from you then. Why would I now?"

"I just do not want to deal with any of that right now. When we are finally fully reunited, I will let you in, but right now. Please let it go."

She looked at him in concern. What could be so bad that he didn't want her to know? "Vegeta, you can't just keep everything locked away to yourself. You'll go crazy." She said. "I'm here. Confide in me. Let me at least help you carry whatever burden it is you have. That's my job. I am your mate; your significant other. Your wife; your spouse, maybe not your better half, but I am your other half. Please, let me help. Even if all I can do is listen, it would still be better than you having to bottle everything up and deal with it on your own. We face everything together."

"Leave it be." He said again, refusing to say anything else. "We will work on it later."

She sighed and nodded; knowing that to push him any further would only make him angry and decided to trust him and leave it be for how. Hopefully in him he would open up to her. "Alright. Just don't take too long. We've been apart long enough."

"I won't be long; maybe a few days. A few weeks at the most. Then I will join you, finish my training then destroy Frieza and return home to Vegeta-sei and take my rightful place at the throne with you by my side like it was meant to be. My father will have no choice but to yield."

"Alright. I will trust you on this." She said. "I am sorry though, I don't know what you are going to do for training other than spar with Kakarott. I redid my plans for the gravity room but don't have the materials tools or even the technology to go about building it. I'm sorry."

Vegeta chuckled. "Worry not about it. I made a quick visit to my father before I was sent here. Bardock finished it."

"He did? Oh wow! When?" she asked excitedly, though a part of her was disappointed she hadn't been the one to do it. It had been the best thing she had ever come up with. "It works? It's helped you like I had hoped?"

He nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "I only got it a few days ago. It is miraculous. Bardock only finished it a few weeks ago apparently."

"Good!" she smiled, ultimately glad that it was finished and that it would help him. "Bring it with you and the two of you can train together. Maybe Kakarott can ascend too and you can both take down Frieza."

Vegeta laughed. "I think not! Kakarott can train all he wants but he will never ascend. He is nothing but a third class warrior. He is exceptionally strong for a third class warrior, I will commend him for that but the ability to ascend to the Legendary Super Saiyan flows through my veins. It is in my blood. Not his." He said haughtily.

"Oh gee, sorry." Bulma replied, rolling her eyes. "Well, you two can still train. I know he is dying for someone to spar with. No one on this planet is even close to him in strength."

"We'll see. He may not be able to even handle it. That Gravity Room is a challenge. I am already training at 300 times normal gravity in my ascended state."

"Vegeta!" Bulma exclaimed. "Be careful!"

"Yes, I know." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "It will not be long before I will need an upgrade. So start thinking about that."

Bulma sighed. She had no idea how she would be able to manage that on this planet. She would have to take a look at the one he had to be able to determine if she even could do an upgrade. On the other hand, she didn't even really want to do an upgrade. What if he hurt himself? "I'll need to see it before I can even think about it. I may not be able to."

"You will." Vegeta said confidently. "I thought you were some sort of genius?"

"Hey! I am a genius." Bulma replied, frowning at him. "And I'm beautiful too."

"You most certainly are." He said, leaning in to kiss her. "Why did you cut your hair?" he asked suddenly. While it certainly didn't take away from her looks, that she would cut her hair so short had really been picking at him.

"Because it's too hot back on Callisto and even here." she replied with a shrug.

"So? It is hot on Vegeta-sei and none of the women cut their hair." He replied blankly.

"Well, I'm not Saiyan and it was too hot and annoying having my hair hanging all over the place all the time and it's not like I had anyone to impress." She said. "Why? You don't like it?"

Vegeta shrugged, running his hand through her now short locks. He had loved running his fingers through her long silky blue hair. He had fantasized about her gorgeous, soft blue hair in his dreams. "It's alright. I preferred it when it was long."

"Well, you weren't around so it's not like I had the option of consulting your royal highness about it." She snipped at him. "Is it really that bad? I kind of like it."

"I can live with it." He said, even though he knew she would be stunningly beautiful no matter what she did. She didn't need to know that though.

"Hair grows." She replied dryly.

"In your case, thank the gods for that." He chuckled. "I am fortunate. My far superior genetics require that I never have to cut my hair."

"That's boring." She teased. "What if I thought you'd look better with shorter hair?"

"Tough, Woman."

"So I don't get a say in your hair style, but you can have a say in mine? Where's the fairness in that?"

"Do what you want, Woman. It matters little to me what you do with your damned hair." He sighed. "Just remember, I do have a preference."

She rolled her eyes. "Typical male. Men and long hair. I don't get it! Well, if you're coming back to Callisto, then I'll grow it out again. Sound like a deal?"

"What would it matter to me how you wore your hair if I didn't come back?"

"But I thought you said you would?"

"I am." He replied. "I am merely pointing out the ridiculousness of your statement."

"Whatever. I'll grow my hair out and you come back. Okay?"

He chuckled and pulled her close to him. He really did not want her to leave. Damn that Kakarott for needing to leave right away! Though it was probably for the better in the long run. He had work to do. If she didn't leave he could easily spend the rest of the day in bed with her. That would not be good. He needed to make it look like he was accomplishing something and he needed to get some training time in today too. No, it was best she leave. Already she was distracting him far more than he liked to admit. He then took a deep breath, taking in her scent again and kissed her deeply.

"We need to get you back to that ship. Eat up." He said, letting her go and getting out of bed before he allowed himself to get carried away again.

Bulma frowned at him as he left her in bed. "I know," she sighed. "Let me wash up again quick and I will join you for a quick bite."

"What for? You just showered."

"I know but someone attacked me and I was rudely interrupted." She said sarcastically. "I'll be quick."

Vegeta sat at the table and helped himself to some breakfast. Sure enough, as promised, Bulma emerged quickly from her shower. They both ate in companionable silence.

"So, what are you going to do today?" Bulma asked casually.

"I am going to start my supposed investigation report and hopefully find a way to put Frieza's concern at ease. Thought it will not be easy. I will need to handle this matter delicately." He sighed.

"I told you, there's nothing to find." Bulma said, waving her hand dismissively. "I was very careful and thought of every possible scenario when we were doing it."

"That may be, but I am still unimpressed."

"I know. I'm sorry." She said rolling her eyes, not wanting to get into this again with him. "I'd do it again though, just so you know."

"Stupid." He mumbled under his breath, shaking his head.

"I know, I know; you're not happy with this. It'll be fine, you'll figure something out."

"Hmmn. Let's go." He said, getting up and heading to the door.

"Just a sec!" Bulma said, running back to the bathroom. She came out a moment later wearing the short black wig she had been wearing the day before.

He looked at her a moment. How had he not recognized her immediately when she had bumped into him yesterday?

"See something you like?" she asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmmn." He growled. "Do not tempt me."

Bulma smirked to herself and grabbed her overnight bag and followed him to the door. "Wait a sec." She said and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Her heart sank as she felt him tense up. He was mentally and emotionally withdrawing already. She hugged him as tightly as she could, just in case anything did happen and it would be several months before she saw him again. She wanted him to know that no matter what he did, no matter where he was, she loved him with every inch of her being and nothing would ever change that.

She sighed gratefully when she felt his strong arms wrap around her small body. They held each other for a few silent moments, basking in each other's nearness. She finally let him go and kissed him chastely on the lips. "I love you."

He smirked at her his cocky, trademark smirk. "I know."

Bulma could not help but feel a little disappointed that he didn't verbally return the sentiment. After everything they had both been through together and after being separated for so long and finally finding each other he still could not say it. It would not have bothered her so much if he had reestablished their bond. When they had been together last time he hadn't said the words back either but she didn't need to hear them. She had felt through the bond what he felt.

Now that their bond had been all but severed, she could only pick up brief, fleeting thoughts and feelings from him. Even that was extremely difficult; to do so, she really had to concentrate hard but it could be done. She wondered if he was still blocking her. It did not matter. He said he would join her soon on Callisto and make things right between them again. She would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed that he didn't choose to do that last night or allow her to stay here with him where they could get reacquainted without interruptions.

"We must go." He said, letting her go and exiting the room.

They walked quietly together down the hall and down the stairs casually. When they reached the main floor, Vegeta kept going, ignoring her completely.

_**I will be outside waiting and will follow you back to the ship.**_ He said to her through the bond. It was faint and distant, but she had heard it and continued on to the checkout counter. She paid the clerk and headed out onto the street.

She looked around briefly, trying to find him but could not; as the streets were very buy by now.

_**Just go, Woman.**_ She heard him growl.

_**Alright!**_ She grumbled back. _**I only wanted to see where you were.**_

_**It does not matter where I am. I am keeping my eye on you from a distance. We cannot be seen together. Now go. You are making it blatantly obvious that you are looking for someone.** _

Bulma sighed at his harsh tone and headed towards the shipping docks at a casual pace; her eyes still sweeping across the street every so often still hoping to catch even the slightest glimpse of him. so far, no luck. _He's good._ She thought to herself.

_**I do not wish to be seen. Therefore, stop looking.**_ He growled, though not angrily.

It did not quench her curiosity any. If anything, it only made it worse. She had to force herself not to stop and look for him just on principal. It was driving her nuts! She stifled a giggle and kept going.

_**What is so funny?** _

_**You.**_ She replied. This was getting a little easier to do now that they were both working on having a mental conversation. It still wasn't as easy as before though. _**Back home, when I was a little girl, there were these books that were really popular. They were called 'Where's Waldo?' There would be a busy picture of a scene crowded with people and buildings and anything you can imagine-**_

_**The point?**_ He interrupted her.

_**You had to find Waldo. He always wore blue pants and a tacky red and white stripped sweater and hat so he should have been very obvious but sometimes he was very hard to find amongst all the chaos going on in the picture. It could take like five to ten minutes to find him.** _

_**This was a book?**_ He asked.

_**Yeah! It would have like maybe ten different picture scenarios, each one more difficult than the last.** _

_**Sounds like a stupid waste of time.** _

_**It was fun! For kids anyway. I had all of them.** _

_**Hmmmn. What does this have to do with me?** _

_**You saying you do not wish to be seen just reminded me of it. That's all; and its busy here, full of people and distractions. I don't know why, but I thought of Where's Waldo? Except now I guess it's Where's Vegeta?**_ She jokingly replied.

_**Idiot.**_ He growled back.

_**You know, when you make it back to Callisto, we really need to work on your sense of humor. You really need to lighten up!**_ She thought irritably.

_**Hmmmn.**_ Was all she got back as a reply.

She stood at an intersection, waiting until it was safe to cross the busy street. Once again, she could not resist the urge to look for him. She discreetly looked across the street, to the left and to the right. She even glanced behind both shoulders periodically and still could not find him. She sighed in frustration and scanned the other side of the street once more, not paying attention to the traffic.

"I think it is safe to cross the street now, Woman." A deep voice, smooth as velvet said into her right ear.

She took in a sharp intake of breath. He had startled her. She heard a low chuckle emit from him and watched as he walked past her without so much as a glance and crossed the street ahead of her.

_**Are you coming or are you just going to stand there all day?** _

_**Yes, I'm coming, you creep!**_ She replied, following him.

He smirked to himself. He had to admit, he had missed their ridiculous bantering back and forth. Such a complete waste of time, but he could not help pushing her buttons. She made it so easy. He stopped and pretended to observe something on the side of the street, allowing her to pass him.

Bulma fought the urge to poke him or grab his tail as she passed by, since the whole point of this was for him to discreetly escort her back to the ship. They were almost there, she realized. She was almost sad. If only there was some way for him to come with them.

_**No, I cannot come with you.**_ He replied, obviously picking up her stray thoughts.

_**I know.**_ She replied. _**A girl can always hope though, right?**_

_**Hmmn. I can see Kakarott's ship from here. I will let you know when I am on my way to that mud ball you call home.** _

_**Alright. Thank you for escorting me.**_ She said, not turning back to look for him again. _**Hey, try to keep somewhat in touch. Please?**_

_**Fine. Just do not distract me. I have a lot that needs to be done.** _

_**I won't.**_ She replied, smiling to herself. At least if he didn't keep her blocked while she was waiting for him that would make her feel a lot better.

She boarded the ship and greeted Kakarott who she could tell was very anxious to get going.

Vegeta stood on the street and waited until he saw the ship leave before heading down to where he needed to begin his investigation. He spoke with a few of the workers. None of them seemed to have any useful information. They had all said they had not noticed anything unusual or anyone around that shouldn't have been there. He finally went to the explosion site. It was pretty big. He could understand why Frieza was so pissed. He began to take a look. He smirked to himself. Bulma had been right. There was not a trace of evidence left behind. Whatever they had used as a bomb not only completely self destructed, but any remnants of the bomb itself had been destroyed so you could not find out what type of bomb it was or what kind of material it was made from. Everything that could possibly link anything to the perpetrator was completely destroyed.

He had to hand it to her, she was good. The only thing he had to do now was figure out something to tell Frieza. Telling him that there was nothing to report would not suffice. It should have been easy to find clues especially since he knew who was behind it; but there was nothing.

Vegeta sighed and left the destruction site. He headed back to his ship and called Lord Frieza.

"My dear Prince, how nice to hear from you. I trust you have found out who has had the nerve to interfere with my fuel source once and for all?" the Lizard's syrupy voice came on.

"No, not exactly, Lord Frieza." Vegeta replied. "Whoever has done this is obviously highly skilled and knows what they are doing. I cannot find any clues whatsoever."

"Nothing at all, Vegeta?" Frieza asked suspiciously.

"I may have one thing, however I will need more time to investigate it."

"And what's that, my Prince?"

"It may have been the work of a disgruntled employee." Vegeta said. It had been the only thing he could think of. "None of the workers say that there has been any sighting of anyone strange or unfamiliar. However there have been riots among workers. I suspect that is the problem."

"I see." Frieza said, pondering the possibility. "Whatever the case may be, I still want whoever is responsible brought to me. Understand? You have leave to remain until you can find out who it is. If it is the work of several of them, then bring all of them to me."

"I understand my lord. I shall not fail you." Vegeta replied.

"Be sure that you do not. You have been exemplary these past several months, I must commend you on your efforts. Get this done and I shall begin giving you real missions now that you have proved your loyalty."

"Thank you. I will not delay." Vegeta said, waiting for the Lizard Lord to disconnect.

Vegeta sat in the captain's chair in his ship for about a half hour or so, pondering what to do next. It had been about three hours since Bulma had left. He could not get her out of his head. He had thought of training for a little while, but that hadn't sounded appealing at the moment. Everything seemed well under control here. He had leave from Lord Frieza to do whatever he wanted. He obviously trusted him with this that he was not breathing down his neck over it.

Vegeta walked out to the shipping dock and began to walk around where the other ships were all the while formulating a plan. He still wasn't sure what he should do next. Stay here or go after the Woman. It may be days before Frieza decided to contact him for an update. Within days, he could disappear. Frieza would not be able to find him.

He noticed a man getting out of a smaller ship and approached him. He explained that he needed a smaller ship for just himself and offered a trade; his larger ship for this man's smaller one. Thankfully the man seemed to have no idea who he was. He even included a lump sum of cash to ensure the deal at which this man seemed tickled pink as soon as he saw Vegeta's ship. The man was too excited to even ask why he wanted to make such a dramatic downgrade. _Fool._ Vegeta thought to himself.

Within minutes, the deal was done. Vegeta boarded this new small ship and set the coordinates for Callisto. He smirked as the ship reached outer space. _My, wont Bulma be surprised._ He thought to himself and settled in for a nap.

-0-0-0-

Bulma boarded the ship with Kakarott and sat next to him in the co pilot's seat as he fired up the ship to leave and head back to Callisto. She felt numb. She knew she should have been walking on air and should have been the happiest girl in the universe right now. Things were finally looking up for them. She had finally succeeded in finding Vegeta after all these months. They had spent a wonderful night together focusing on just themselves and nothing else.

She just did not want to leave him. What if something happened? What if, despite their cautious efforts someone had picked them out? What if Vegeta got summoned back to Lord Frieza's and it would be months again before he was able to get away and come to her? She hoped that he would at least communicate to her a bit through their bond. He had said he would, but she also knew how stubborn he was. It was still bothering her that he saw her as nothing more than a weakness to him. The only reason she did not push the issue was because she didn't want to fight with him. At the time, she just needed to be as close to him as she could get after being apart for so long. She needed to have the irrefutable reassurance of his presence throughout every inch of her. Being with him just made everything seem perfect. It had been perfect up until the time she boarded the ship without him and now made her way back home.

"So, I take it everything went well with Vegeta?" Kakarott asked casually once they were out of the planet's atmosphere. Bulma hadn't said a word to him since she boarded and it was troubling him.

"Yeah, it did. Thank you for waiting." Bulma said, losing her train of thought.

"No problem! Sorry we couldn't stay longer."

"It's alright. Vegeta has work to do anyway. I wouldn't want to distract him any more than I apparently already do." She said almost bitterly.

"Is that what he said?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Bulma nodded. "That I am both a distraction and a weakness to him. He didn't even fix our broken bond, Kakarott. He said he would once he comes after us when he's done dealing with the mess we left for him. He really wasn't impressed."

"Yeah, I know he was mad about that." Kakarott nodded. "He came to see me this morning and expressed his outright displeasure for that decision even though I pointed out to him that we really didn't have any other choice. As for the rest, don't worry about it. He doesn't mean it."

"I know he doesn't really mean it, but that doesn't make it hurt any less." Bulma sighed. "I'm just afraid something will happen to him and it will be months before he makes it to Callisto. Without our bond being repaired, I won't know what's going on with him."

"You can't feel him at all?"

"I can a little. And we were able to communicate a bit, but it's not the same. It's really hard and when he does speak to me it's distant and he sounds so far away. He still hasn't let down that wall. I don't know how it works but maybe it's something he will have to gradually work at letting go instead of like a switch."

Kakarott shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't tried to block Chi-Chi ever, so I can't help you there."

"Lucky for her." Bulma said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, try not to worry too much about it. I'm sure everything will be fine. If Vegeta said he would be coming, he will do everything he can to make sure it's as quickly as possible." Kakarott said knowingly. "And if I know Vegeta, I am certain that now that he knows you're alive, he'll make sure you guys aren't apart for long. He might be grouchy, but he feels very deeply for you."

"They why didn't he reestablish our bond?" she asked dejectedly. She had accepted his explanation at the time that morning, but now that they were apart, she was beginning to panic again and doubt him. What if he was only relieved that she was alright but really didn't want to reopen their bond now that he had convinced himself she was nothing more than a weakness to him? What if now that they were apart he thought about it and decided to not come find her after all? That he was better off without her? She knew she was being ridiculous, but couldn't help her mind from jumping to all sorts of conclusions.

"Bulma, I think he's just overwhelmed." Kakarott said comfortingly. "He's changed. I lived with him under Frieza before, for seven years when we were young. It's not something that you just walk away from unscathed. I don't even want to know what he's had to endure. He did mention to me that he had been involved with a bunch of really bad stuff he didn't want you knowing about."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. He didn't elaborate. After my time with Frieza, I can only assume the worst. We were both sent on missions and made to do many horrible things. You don't have a choice. If Frieza is pissed at him for everything that went down with you, he's probably been sending him on every vile, horrible mission he can think of."

Bulma shook her head. "He has changed; and not for the better. He's so hard and distant. I mean he always was really reserved and had a hard time expressing emotion or affection. I got used to that, I don't need him to worship me and reassure me every five minutes; and I know that it's just the way you Saiyans are. But now it's different. We got into an argument like not ten minutes after he came to see me. He pretty much told me he regretted the bond and that I am nothing but a weakness to hold him back."

"Bulma, just leave it. I know it's hard, but trust me, he'll come around again. He doesn't mean it. Think about it, if he really thought that, would he have come to see you in the first place? Did he know it was you when you ran into him?"

"Not at first, no. He came after me and interrogated me rather harshly. I thought he was going to shake me, Kakarott. He was pretty scary. Once he figured it out, he was alright."

"Exactly. Would he have come to see you if he really felt that way?"

"Probably not, but he could have just come to find out what had happened. He told me he had been blaming himself for our deaths all these months. So he could have just come for closure."

"Maybe, but I highly doubt it. If he said he will come find us, he will."

"I know he meant it when he said it, but what if now that I'm gone, he decides he's better off. I know him. He obsesses over things and once he makes up his mind on something, he'll do it whether it's good for him or not. He's stubborn that way."

"He is. Well, there's not much we can do for him now. All I can say is if he doesn't, then we'll just start planting bombs again." Kakarott shrugged, smirking thinking of how much that would piss him off. "Vegeta tends to push away those closest to him, especially when he's not alright. I saw him today, he's far from alright."

"I know." Bulma nodded. "That's why I'm afraid to leave him."

"It'll be okay, Bulma." Kakarott said. "Trust me, he needs you more than both of you know. You are going to have to be strong for him. Who knows what he's really been through these past months. If anyone can help him, it'll be you."

Bulma shrugged. "I don't know what I can do, but I'll try my best. I can't do anything if he keeps pushing me away."

"Just don't give up on him."

"I won't." Bulma nodded. She was so worried about him. "Well, I'm tired. I am going to take a nap if that's okay. I'll make us something to eat in a bit." She said, getting up to leave to her small bedroom on the ship. She was exhausted, even though it was only a little bit after noontime. She felt emotionally drained.

She closed the door and crawled into bed. She thought about everything that had just happened. She was ecstatic that she and Vegeta had finally reunited, but had a nagging feeling in her gut that leaving him had been the wrong thing to do. She tried to reach out to him but felt nothing. He must have still had his stupid wall up. She could, however sense that he was content. A far cry from the anxious dreadful feeling she had picked up from him all these months. She relaxed, feeling relieved that he seemed to be alright for the time being and drifted off to sleep. She knew they would find a way through and everything would work itself out.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta got up and checked the stats on the ship and grumbled. This ship was so slow! At this rate, a two day trip would take him almost three days! He wondered briefly how Bulma was doing. He had a feeling she was upset with him. The thought of her being upset with him bothered him a lot more than he would have liked. He lowered his carefully crafted mental wall a bit and sought her out. She seemed calm but unresponsive. He assumed maybe she was sleeping. He smirked at the thought; neither one of them had gotten much sleep the night before.

He walked briefly around the small one-person ship and grunted. There was no room for him to even decapsulate the gravity room to train while this hunk of junk got him to his destination. There wasn't much room to do much more than sit ups and pushups. He should have looked for something a bit more practical for his needs. Now that he'd been thinking about it. He wished he had done a lot of things different. He should have blown up his ship like he had originally wanted to do. The reason he hadn't was because he thought by quietly slipping away it may be weeks before Frieza decided to check in on him and he would be long gone and untraceable by then, even if he did send out bounty hunters. Maybe faking his death like he had originally planned would have been a better plan. He shrugged. He would worry about Lord Frieza when the time came. Right now all he wanted to do was join Bulma and make things right with her. Have a few weeks or if he were fortunate enough, maybe even a few months of peace to relax and perfect his ascension. He was dying to experiment uninhibitedly and push his new abilities to their limits and Kakarott would be a valuable asset. It would not hurt him to train as well. He may not be able to ascend, but he was always not far behind him in strength and was an extremely valuable ally. Though he would make sure Frieza's death was by his own hands and no one else's.

Since there was nothing to do, he decided to take off his armor and just try to make himself comfortable as possible. He saw Bulma's ipod fall out from the inside of his breast plate and onto the floor. He had meant to give that back to her, but then figured he would be seeing her soon enough anyway. He turned it on and began to scroll through the library. He could not remember the name of the classical bit he had liked before and hadn't been able to stumble on it again, there was so much on there he still hadn't listened to it all. He just remembered it was a requiem mass. He scrolled through and started going through more applications he hadn't looked through before. He found more videos but not of her. They were of people performing various things. Some were videos of scantily clad women singing songs much like what Bulma had been performing. He watched some of them briefly. None really held his interest for more than a few moments before he moved on. In his opinion, Bulma was much more talented and beautiful than any of them.

He skipped through a few more and found a trio of guys playing instruments. The lead singer was a small-built but tall skinny guy with short black spiky hair wearing a tacky red suit. Vegeta scoffed at him. What a small man! However, the song he began to play with his band was one he recognized before from listening to Bulma's ipod on random over the past few days. It was a neat tune he had listened to repeatedly and the words appealed to him. He assumed this was the artist who's song it was. He watched fascinated as he sang and played an instrument expertly with two other band members. It was flawless. He admitted that this guy was very talented and must have been very dedicated to his craft. He did not know anything about music, but he recognized and respected dedication to anything that required talent and precision. He sat back and decided to watch it. It seemed to be a whole performance that was almost two hours long. When it was done, he watched it again. He didn't know who they were, and made note to ask Bulma some time. He was more than intrigued. They sang passionately of freedom and fallen governments, killing democracy and fools for leaders. He smirked. Sounded like his life situation.

After watching them a second time, he found another artist performance. Something called NIN. He did not know what that meant, but was extremely impressed with him as well. At least the woman had good tasted in music from what he had seen so far. This artist was just as talented as the guys in the other one he had watched. He played multiple instruments like the lead singer of the other one too. He wondered briefly why his planet did not seem to have artists like these. Sure they had artists and players but nothing like any of these performers on Bulma's ipod.

He scrolled through some more once that performance was done. She had a bunch of applications labeled 'Movies' and started scrolling through. He chose one called Inception and settled in. He didn't have much else to do to keep himself entertained.

_**Two days later** _

Bulma stretched as she and Kakarott exited the ship. This two day trip seemed to drag on way longer than the usual. She figured it was because she was sad about having to leave Vegeta.

They walked together back to the house silently. Chi-Chi and the dogs met up with them half way up the front yard.

"Hey, guys!" Bulma greeted the two dogs as they happily jumped all over her, expressing their happiness with her return. "We're you good boys for Chi-Chi?"

"They were alright." Chi-Chi replied, still hugging Kakarott.

"What happened?" Bulma asked.

"Well, they just don't listen to me!" Chi-Chi replied in an irritated tone. "Yamcha keeps dropping by to see you and then they freak out and they don't listen to me when I tell them to leave him be."

"Ugh!" Bulma groaned, rolling her eyes. "Seriously? Chi-Chi, what does he want?"

"He just wants to talk to you." Chi-Chi shrugged. "The dogs scared the crap out of him yesterday and he hasn't been back since, but other than that, every day he came by looking for you."

Bulma had run into Yamcha a few weeks after she, Chi-Chi and Kakarott had settled in. She had been working on Danger's attention in the market. A nice busy atmosphere with many distractions for the young puppy; she had not been paying attention until Yamcha had seen her from across the market and so avoiding him was impossible. She had been polite to him, told him it had been nice to know that he was alright and had been more than relieved to see that he had already found a new girlfriend to fawn all over him. What were the odds he would find a blue-haired girl that was almost the spitting image of her, except for the fact the poor girl was dumber than a sack of hammers on a Wednesday afternoon? She seemed like a nice enough girl but wow was she dumb. On the other hand, that was exactly what Yamcha needed: A bimbo that could not think for herself to worship him day and night.

She was sincerely glad he had moved on; she definitely had. However, since she had run into him, he would not leave her alone! He kept insisting they go out together to get closure or something stupid. She had no interest. She had told him about Vegeta and that they were married and that was all the closure she needed. That hadn't sat well with him and they ended up getting into a huge argument. Harsh words had been said on both sides and ever since then, he had been trying to mend fences with her. She had no interest. He just didn't get it! The last time they had spoken he had taken a stab at her accusing her of lying about Vegeta because if she had married this man, where was he and why had he dumped her here on her own for months on end? She refused to speak to him since then. That had been months ago and he was still pushing the issue. The last time he had come to the house, she had sent the dogs out after him. Not to bite or do any physical damage, but to scare him off. It had worked and now whenever they had seen him since, they would kick up a fuss. It was almost like a game to them and Bulma thought it was so funny she never called them off when they got riled up. Yamcha didn't have to know that they wouldn't actually hurt him.

"I just wish he would leave me alone!" Bulma grumbled. "We both survived. He has a girlfriend. I have a husband. He's happy, I'm happy why can't he just let it go? I have nothing to say to him!"

"Just talk to him, Bulma." Chi-Chi whined.

"I don't want to." Bulma sighed.

"You can't ignore him forever." Chi-Chi said. "By the way, did you have any success this time?"

"Yeah, I did. He came." Bulma replied with a smile and nod.

"That's it?" Chi-Chi asked, raising an eyebrow. "I would have thought you'd be walking on air. Did it go alright or did something happen?"

"Vegeta is just a little tense and angry right now." Kakarott said, feeling left out.

"He didn't want to see Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked.

"No, they met up. It's just that-"

"Kakarott!" Bulma whined. "Chi-Chi, come with me. We'll walk the dogs, and I'll tell you all about it. Okay?"

"Alright. But you are walking them both. Not me." Chi-Chi nodded. "Dinner should almost be ready, go and help yourself. I'll be back soon."

Bulma ran to the house and grabbed both leashes for the dogs and a ball. She paused for a moment as she watched Kakarott hold Chi-Chi in a gentle embrace asking how she was feeling. It seemed like such an intimate moment between them that she felt bad coming back outside. She remembered when she had first met Vegeta, he was like that every once in a while in private. She wondered briefly if he would ever be that way again. He had loosened up a bit before they parted ways, but he was still stiff and distant. She just hoped that time would undo everything and he could learn to relax again a little.

"See you guys in a bit!" Kakarott said as he let his mate go and headed into the house.

Bulma hooked up the dogs and off they went, Danger on her left and Aro on her right; both dogs heeling perfectly at her sides.

"So, what happened, Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Well, everything went as planned, more or less." Bulma shrugged. "He figured out who I was and then followed the directions on the note I gave him. He even showed up twenty minutes early."

"Well, that's good." Chi-Chi commented.

"It was." Bulma nodded.

"So, what happened then?"

"Chi, he's changed so much. He's so cold and hard and angry." Bulma said, trying not to cry. "Instead of being happy, we just ended up fighting not ten minutes after he showed up."

"Fighting? Why?"

"He spent all these months under Frieza doing who knows what horrible things. He has done nothing but blame himself for the deaths of Kakarott and myself."

"Did he say why he ignored you?" Chi-Chi asked, crossing her arms and scowling.

"He did try to get a hold of me through the bond for almost a week. He gave up and then, just like I had figured, he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him. He figured either that or I was haunting him from the afterlife. Oh, Chi, he kept looking at me like I was a ghost and that he half expected me to vanish." She said. "I can't fault him for that."

"Alright, so why were you guys fighting then?"

"He said that I am nothing but a weakness to him."

"Nice thing to say to your wife who you thought was dead for eight months." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes. "So what happened?"

"I got upset with him. He came on to me and we were making out when he said he needed me, I pushed him away. I was stupid, I know, but he hurt me. I told him how I agonized over him these past eight months. How his severing our bond affected me. He just shrugged. He didn't even know what to say. Then he accused me of wanting to demean his pride or whatever. He was so cold and unfeeling."

"So then what?"

"I just let it go." Bulma shrugged, letting both dogs off their leashes to run in the open field in front of them. She threw the ball and both dogs took off, trying to beat each other to it first. "He does need me. He's so messed up. I can't explain it. He has like this half-crazed, almost frantic look about him now. Like, he always was a hard person before. Doesn't express much emotion, but when we were together, it was different. Now he's all withdrawn and angry."

"Did he hurt you, Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked seriously, worried for her friend.

"No." Bulma shook her head. Aro returned the ball to her. After making both dogs sit, she threw it again for them. "He was a little rough when we first got together, but he didn't hurt me. Don't worry; he more than made up for it later on. He didn't mean it. I was just as desperate in my need to him as he was for me. It was kind of exciting, actually."

"Still. None of this is your fault. He has no right to be angry with you."

"That's just it, Chi. He wasn't angry with me. He's angry at the situation. He wasn't impressed that Kakarott and I did what we did with the bombs. He was upset at that, but we knew that anyway."

"So, what now?" Chi-Chi asked. "Did you guys fix your bond? Is he coming here at some point?"

"Yeah, he'll be coming here once he cleans up the mess Kakarott and I created. No, he didn't fix our bond." Bulma said sadly. "Something about him not being proud of the things he was made to do and he didn't want me distracting him. I understand it, but it still really upset me. He said he would make things right again between us when he comes here."

"Who knows how long that will be. What if he never shows up? Then what? Bulma, I can't believe you let him off the hook like that!"

"I know. I was upset, but I trust him. I know it wasn't that he didn't want to. Every time we were intimate, I could feel his desire to reopen it and he would linger around my neck and then just not do it. I trust that when he's ready he will. I think he's just worried I'll judge him or whatever."

"Well, he should know you well enough to know that you wouldn't." Chi-Chi replied, obviously not impressed.

Bulma nodded. "I'm so glad we found him though! Everything was so perfect when we were together again. I can't wait for him to get here. Please don't be mad at him. I probably haven't explained it right. I know I'm just being overly sensitive is all."

Chi-Chi nodded. She understood to a degree. She didn't agree with it, but she could understand both sides. She had caught glimpses of Kakarott's past as a soldier in Frieza's army well. It wasn't nice. However, he had never let it diffuse his happy nature. "Let's hope he gets here soon then. You both can stay with us. It's so nice here. He can hopefully unwind, hey? Blow off some steam with Kakarott. He's been anxious for him to finally make it here because I am no challenge to him. He said they were close. I am sure between the two of you, you both can get him calmed down. I mean, everyone has their breaking point, right?"

Bulma nodded. She was hoping. She just hoped that she would be strong enough to help him get through whatever it was he had been through. She wanted to help him, but knew if she pushed, he would just push away from her harder. "How's everything with you?"

"Alright. I'm really tired." She sighed. She was barely even showing. "I'm a bit worried that I'm so tired this early on. What will it be like even two months from now and I have three to go from there?"

Bulma giggled. "You'll be fine. With Kakarott and I not having to leave on any more missions, we can help out more."

"Thanks, B." Chi-Chi said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "So, what are you going to do about Yamcha?"

"I don't know." Bulma groaned. "Probably nothing until Vegeta gets here. I'll let him deal with him. He can be royally escorted off our property by his Highness personally. Maybe then he'll get the hint."

"What do you think Vegeta will do? Does he know about you and Yamcha?"

"Yeah. I mentioned it briefly. He's not impressed with him. So I am sure he'll take great delight in informing him that he has taken up with his former woman." Bulma laughed, mocking Vegeta's foreign accent. Chi-Chi rolled her eyes.

Bulma hooked up the dogs up again after a few more ball tosses and the two women made their way back to the house. Chi-Chi served them all a wonderful dinner and Bulma excused herself and went to bed early after a much needed relaxing shower.

_**Several hours later, that same night…** _

Vegeta landed on the planet Callisto. He had made better time than he had originally thought he would. It was dark out and no one was monitoring the shipping docks, much to his utter and complete disbelief. Any one- friend or enemy could just land here? He shook his head and headed up the shipping dock and searched out both Bulma and Kakarott's energy signal. He sensed them not overly far away from where he was. Bulma's just barely discernible. He was about to take to the air when a small older man approached him.

"Excuse me, Sir." He said, walking up to him. "I need your name and registration for your ship and your business here."

"My name does not matter." He sneered at the puny older man. "My business is my own but if you must know, I am here for my mate, Bulma. I haven't a clue what that junk heap's registration number is. Go find it yourself. It's open and I have no intention of using it again." he said, brushing past him.

"Are you a Saiyan, Sir?"

"What does that matter?" Vegeta growled.

"I just need to know, sir. There is one other Saiyan here as well."

"I know. The clown, Kakarott. I will be seeing him as well." Vegeta said and without further word, took to the air quickly, leaving the old man stunned on the shipping dock.

Vegeta flew as fast as he could towards Kakarott's energy signal. He could only just barely pick up Bulma. He assumed she must have been asleep already. He smirked to himself at how surprised she would be to see him again so soon.

-0-0-0-

Kakarott was still sitting in the kitchen with Chi-Chi. He had really missed her. They were talking about Bulma and Vegeta. Chi-Chi was mad and he was trying to explain things in Vegeta's defense. She was concerned about her friend. However, she was judging him much too harshly in her effort to protect her friend. She just didn't get it.

"I just don't get why he says things like that to her, Kakarott? You're a Saiyan and a warrior. You don't treat me like that." Chi-Chi said.

"I know, but I was also brought up differently than he was." Kakarott replied with a heavy sigh. They had already been through this. "His father is not a nice man. He was taught his whole life that any type of emotion was a weakness and something to be avoided. He let himself care for Bulma and look what happened."

"But none of that was her fault!"

"Of course not. And Vegeta knows that. It's just hard for him. I don't know how to explain it, but believe me, Chi-Chi. He does care very deeply for her. He just will need some time to adjust now that he'll be leaving Frieza's service. It changes you. It's not a healthy environment. I probably only survived it as well as I did because I had Vegeta and my father checked in on us as frequently as he could. Vegeta never had that. He had me and my father, but that's it. Now he has had no one these past months and if I know Lord Frieza, he's probably done everything he could to make Vegeta's life hell. He'll be fine. Just don't be mean to him when he gets here. Please?"

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "Alright, but if he's mean to Bulma, he'll most certainly be getting an ear full from me!"

"He'll be fine, don't worry. They both will. You'll see." He said, pausing for a moment.

"What?" she asked him.

Kakarott smirked. "Everyone might be even finer a whole lot sooner than we thought!" he said, going to the door and opening it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chi-Chi asked, carefully following him.

"He's here." Kakarott said with a big grin.

"Now? Already?" she asked. "Should I go wake up Bulma?"

Kakarot shook his head. "No. Leave her be. Let him go wake her up."

Not a few moments later, Chi-Chi saw a man land on the ground not far from the house. He wasn't very tall. However, she had remembered Bulma saying he wasn't a tall guy. She had caught very vague glimpses of him from her bond with Kakarott when he had shared a few things with her, but she still hadn't gotten a very good picture of him.

The shorter man approached the house slowly, almost as if he were unsure. Chi-Chi was surprised the dogs weren't acting up by now.

"Hey, Vegeta!" Kakarott greeted. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied, a surly frown etched on his features. Chi-Chi stood next to Kakarott, trying to get a better look at this Prince she had heard so much about. He definitely didn't look approachable. Bulma had been right when she had described him as cold and unfeeling. His stony gaze nearly chilled her to the bone. She could not deny he was incredibly handsome though. However, not as handsome as her Kakarott, in her opinion.

"What brought you here so soon? I thought you had a big mess to clean up?"

"I handled it." Vegeta replied. "Where's the Woman?"

"She's asleep, upstairs." Kakarott replied with a silly grin.

"The Woman has a name, you know?" Chi-Chi said with a scowl. How rude!

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, only noticing the raven-haired girl now. He recognized her from the pictures and videos he had seen on Bulma's ipod.

Kakarott giggled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Vegeta, this is Chi-Chi, my mate. Chi-Chi, this is Prince Vegeta. He is the prince of my whole entire race."

The two just nodded at each other in acknowledgement. _What a harpy._ Vegeta thought to himself.

"Would you like me to take you to Bulma? She's been asleep for a while." Kakarott said.

"Well, I did not come all the way here in that hunk of junk ship to visit your third class ass, Kakarott." Vegeta growled.

Chi-Chi stood there and shook her head. _He's so rude!_ She fumed to herself silently. _What on Earth does Bulma see in this guy? Alright, he's easy on the eyes, but I've known him all of eight seconds and he's a complete ass!_

"Alright, follow me. Chi-Chi and I are going to bed right away. I'll take you. Just be mindful of the dogs. They don't really like new people."

"Bulma told me about them." Vegeta replied.

Kakarott quietly opened the bedroom door to Bulma's room. The two Saiyans walked in quietly. Bulma was fast asleep and they noticed two heads with erect ears pop up immediately from on top of the bed. One of them growled low and deep.

"Aro, Danger, here." Kakarott whispered, trying to be quiet, but get the dogs out of her room.

They hopped off the bed and left the room, both eyeing Vegeta very carefully as though sizing him up. Aro growled at him, though was leaning in to try and sniff him. Danger sat behind Aro and watched Vegeta very carefully and silently in his usual aloof demeanor. Vegeta looked down at the dogs and glared at them.

"Aro, Danger, Freund." Kakarott said. He hoped he said it right so they wouldn't go ballistic.

The two dogs stepped closer to Vegeta and sniffed him for a good minute. Once they had a good sniff, their tails wagged.

"It's alright, I told them you're their friend." Kakarott said stifling a giggle from the look Vegeta was giving him. "Outside." He said and the dogs ran down the stairs to go patrol the yard.

"Night, Vegeta." Kakarott said quietly. "I'm glad you're here."

Vegeta simply nodded and quietly crept into Bulma's room, closing the door quietly behind him. He walked up to her and observed her relaxed, sleeping form. Even while asleep in the dark, she looked absolutely beautiful to him. He quickly and quietly took off his clothes and walked to the other side of the bed. Her back was facing him; as she was curled up in a ball, lying on her left side. He carefully crawled into bed, taking great pains to not wake her up. Once in bed, he carefully wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her into him.

Bulma stirred a little in her sleep at being moved. Vegeta snickered and took in her scent. She smelled so good!

"Vegeta." She mumbled in her sleep.

"Hmmn." He murmured into her ear, nipping it lightly hoping she would wake up soon. He squeezed her gently and wrapped his tail around her waist.

Bulma began to stir again, half asleep and not quite awake. She must have been dreaming. Or maybe she still was. She felt familiar strong arms enveloping her entire being. Oh how she had dreamed of this nearly every night. And every morning she would wake up alone. She tried to stretch, to make the feeling go away, but it wouldn't, she thought in confusion. Maybe she was still asleep. She felt a hitch of breath on her neck as though she was being smirked at. Her eyes shot open and she moved her head to the side to look over her shoulder and had her lips met with his. There he was! He was here with her! She was sure she was awake and not dreaming. She felt awake.

She moaned as he kissed her urgently. She managed to turn herself around in his arms so that she was facing him.

"Vegeta?" She whispered.

"Woman." He whispered back huskily to her, his forehead touching hers.

She smiled at him and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck, trying to get as close to him as physically possible. "What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I said I would come find you."

"I know, but this soon? How were you able to get away so fast?"

"Does it matter?' He asked. He did not want a long drawn out conversation with her. He wanted her body and everything she had to offer and he wanted her now. They could discuss it in the morning.

"No." she giggled quietly, running her hands through his hair. She pulled on his neck, trying to maneuver herself underneath him. He followed her lead and positioned himself over top of her, kissing her deeply as though his life depended on it.

_**Author's note: Warning. Mature content. If you are under 18 or don't like reading lemons, feel free to skip the rest of this chapter.** _

He kissed her hungrily. His hands were all over her. He made quick work of her tiny shorts, slipping them down off her legs, scoffing at how small they were. He wondered briefly why she even bothered and then tossed them over his shoulder. In the urgency of his heated desire, he ripped her flimsy tank top down the middle, earning him a growl from her, which he ignored all together. With her body free from clothing or anything else shielding her from him, he took one of her breasts and began to suckle hungrily at it while fondling the other one. His thumb and pointer finger gently pinching at her nipple; making it pucker. He went back to her mouth and attacked it greedily, kissing her deeply, grinding his thigh into her center.

Bulma writhed underneath him, kissing him back as passionately as she could; trying to communicate to him how happy she was that he was here with her. It didn't matter how or why. He was here, in her bed, ravaging her the way only he knew how. She boldly ran her hand down his muscular back and reached for his tail.

"No." he murmured to her between kisses. "Please don't." he said, taking her hand, placing it above her head and laced his fingers with hers. "I will not last long if you do that."

Bulma giggled and began kissing him back. She did not want that.

He ran his other hand down her flat stomach and between her legs, inserting two fingers deep into her core and began pumping them in and out of her slowly, wanting to draw this out. He was pleased by how wet she already was for him. It made him feel good that he obviously affected her just as much as she affected him. He licked and nipped up along her jaw line and down her neck to her collar bone as he continued to pleasure her with his fingers.

By this point, she was gasping and panting, trying not to moan. She did not want to disturb everyone else in the house. She heard Vegeta smirk at her as though he knew she was trying to be discreet and knew he was not going to make this easy for her. He then did something she never thought he would do, ever. He travelled his lips agonizingly slow down her chest and abdomen, alternating between licking and nipping.

She closed her legs shyly as he worked his way down between them. He growled playfully at her modesty and gently parted them, exposing her fully to him. The scent of her arousal was intoxicating to him. He bent down and began devouring her center.

Bulma panted and fisted one of her hands in the sheets and one in his hair. She barely held back a shriek as he continued to pleasure her with his fingers and mouth. She could not help herself under his ministrations and bucked her hips into his face, urging him on. She never thought anything could feel this amazing. It was almost overwhelming.

Vegeta smirked at her as he continued on. Never in his life had he thought he would want to pleasure a woman in this way. He could tell the way she was squirming that she was close. He upped his efforts to a more urgent pace and waited patiently for her to reach her pleasure peak.

She sighed loudly, stifling a scream as she came violently. She covered her mouth with her hand and panted as waves of pleasure washed through her. Once she felt herself under control, she reached for him and pulled him up towards her, kissing him deeply. She could taste herself on his lips and tongue. That she willingly kissed him after he had just done what he had done turned him on even more.

She reached down and took his engorged member into her small hand and stroked him gently. She loved how he growled in response to her. She quickly retracted her hand and sat up in front of him. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her.

Bulma placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him so that he was lying down, glad that he went along with what she wanted. She crawled on top of him and smiled down at him lovingly. She had never done this, but she had read enough trashy romance novels that she was pretty sure she could pull it off. She straddled his hips and bent down, kissing him passionately. She teasingly kissed him up his jaw line, down his neck and across his chest, just as he had done to her minutes ago. She stopped and sucked on one of his nipples and then bit down; loving the reaction she got out of him. She looked up at him coyly and continued her journey downwards, alternating between kissing him and running her tongue down his perfectly sculptured abdomen.

When she finally reached her destination, she stroked him gently, pleased that he was already standing at attention. She smiled shyly at him and then decided to take the plunge. She ran her tongue up and down his member while still stroking him gently; his grunts and sighs, giving her confidence that she was obviously doing something right. She then took his length into her mouth and began to bob slowly up and down, while sucking lightly and licking him. She heard him moan and sped up her ministrations.

Vegeta closed his eyes, reveling and giving into the pleasure she was bestowing up on him. How had they not participated in this before, he wondered. He knew he was close, and reached for her. She stopped and looked up at him questioningly.

"Enough." He growled, pulling her up to him and kissing her. She straddled his lap again and giggled at him as he sat up to meet her. He took both sides of her face in his large hands and kissed her deeply before flipping her over so that he was on top of her. They both moaned as he entered her slowly in one motion, filling her completely. He slowly began to make love to her, much the same way he had the night they had first consummated their relationship. She wrapped her legs around his lean well-built torso, pulling him in closer to her.

He moaned her name in her ear and proceeded to kiss and nip his way down her neck. He sucked on the spot on her neck where he had bitten her before and without hesitation, he bit her again.

Bulma winced at the sudden sharp pain, but at the same time welcomed it and the whirlwind rush of feeling and emotion that came with it. She inhaled deeply at the onslaught of emotion and thoughts she was bombarded with while at the same time relieved and thankful that he had decided to share himself with her now. She had been so afraid after they had parted ways last time that he wouldn't want to for a long time. Here he was now, keeping up to his word and opening himself up to her once again.

He showed her everything. He showed her how Frieza had beaten him the day they were meant to leave after they had mated and bonded. He showed her his feelings of dread, rage and despair when he saw his ship blown up and had thought she had been killed. She saw and felt the rage he felt in his attempt to fight Frieza and then the despair of being unable to. He quickly showed her the pride he felt in announcing her as his mate in front of everyone despite the despair of thinking her gone and the ridicule he had received.

She felt his despair and franticness in his effort to reach out to her repeatedly through their bond and his reluctant acceptance that he had lost her. He had failed her. The overwhelming sense of shame from his failure flooded through her so strongly, she could have cried. He moved on quickly and showed her very briefly the sick and nauseating feeling every time he had to be in Lord Frieza's presence. How violated he felt as the disgusting Lizard Lord mentally undressed him with his eyes and how hard it was to completely ignore him and act like he didn't notice. He showed her a few different missions; each one horrific. Death, destruction and more death; senseless killing of young families and innocent planets.

He cut the flash backs short. Not wanting to show her anymore. He showed her how hard it had been on him to sever their bond despite his stubborn insistence upon doing so; then the relief and exuberant feelings he had when he had bumped into her on the street and realized it was her. The feelings of disbelief and sheer happiness that she had somehow made it through. He showed her the incredible guilt at the knowledge he had ignored her and severed their bond when she had been just fine. Then it was there, the unbelievable shame he felt for everything. For being unable to protect her and for repeatedly not listening to her and shutting her out when she had reached out to him.

Bulma pulled him closer, wrapping her arms tightly around him, trying to chase away these feelings of intense shame he had. She reassured him of her love and acceptance; her pure happiness that he had come for her and her assurance that everything would be fine now. She once again sent him every feeling of adoration, faith, hope and pride she felt for him.

It didn't take long and he released himself within her, completely spent. He all but collapsed on top of her, burying his head in her neck. She gently stroked his hair soothingly, not saying anything to him. There was nothing she could say. She held back the tidal wave of emotion threatening to burst forth. Emotion for everything. For him; for her. For them and everything that had happened. She wanted to cry for him for everything he had endured. Shed the tears she knew he never would; however she also knew that to cry would shame him even further. He would not appreciate it. She was just thankful he had shared with her some part of the huge burden he carried. She knew it would take time, but she was determined to help him so that he didn't have to carry it all on his own.

So she lay there quietly, beneath him and soothed him as best she could. After a few moments, he looked down at her with a very serious look on his face. He bent down and kissed her chastely; thankful that she had accepted their bond again after he had chosen not to on their last meeting; especially after he had told her she was nothing but a weakness to him and putting her through what he did by severing their bond and ignoring her. He hadn't been a very good mate to her so far.

_**Don't ever think that. None of this was your fault. I don't blame you. It was all beyond your control and just as you said the other night- what's done is done and cannot be undone. We can and will fix it together.**_ She said confidently to him, testing their link.

_**I will make it up to you.**_ He replied, still looking at her intensely.

_**Does that mean you'll stay here for a while?** _

He nodded.

_**Good! You need some down time.**_ She said with a huge smile. _**I'm so glad you're here. I felt horrible leaving you back there. I was so afraid something else would happen and it would be months before you might get a chance to come here.**_

_**That's why I left. I will stay here with you and train with Kakarott. Then I will rid this universe of Frieza and anyone else who dares to stand in my way.** _

_**Sounds like a plan!**_ She thought back to him. She then slyly reached for his tail again, raising an eyebrow mischievously, trying to lighten his mood.

_**Lusty wench.**_ He growled at her and began moving inside her again. It was going to be a long night, not that either of them minded. They both had a lot of catching up to do and the both planned on doing just that.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sexual content.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 22** _

Bulma boarded the ship with Kakarott and sat next to him in the co pilot's seat as he fired up the ship to leave and head back to Callisto. She felt numb. She knew she should have been walking on air and should have been the happiest girl in the universe right now. Things were finally looking up for them. She had finally succeeded in finding Vegeta after all these months. They had spent a wonderful night together focusing on just themselves and nothing else.

She just did not want to leave him. What if something happened? What if, despite their cautious efforts someone had picked them out? What if Vegeta got summoned back to Lord Frieza's and it would be months again before he was able to get away and come to her? She hoped that he would at least communicate to her a bit through their bond. He had said he would, but she also knew how stubborn he was. It was still bothering her that he saw her as nothing more than a weakness to him. The only reason she did not push the issue was because she didn't want to fight with him. At the time, she just needed to be as close to him as she could get after being apart for so long. She needed to have the irrefutable reassurance of his presence throughout every inch of her. Being with him just made everything seem perfect. It had been perfect up until the time she boarded the ship without him and now made her way back home.

"So, I take it everything went well with Vegeta?" Kakarott asked casually once they were out of the planet's atmosphere. Bulma hadn't said a word to him since she boarded and it was troubling him.

"Yeah, it did. Thank you for waiting." Bulma said, losing her train of thought.

"No problem! Sorry we couldn't stay longer."

"It's alright. Vegeta has work to do anyway. I wouldn't want to distract him any more than I apparently already do." She said almost bitterly.

"Is that what he said?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Bulma nodded. "That I am both a distraction and a weakness to him. He didn't even fix our broken bond, Kakarott. He said he would once he comes after us when he's done dealing with the mess we left for him. He really wasn't impressed."

"Yeah, I know he was mad about that." Kakarott nodded. "He came to see me this morning and expressed his outright displeasure for that decision even though I pointed out to him that we really didn't have any other choice. As for the rest, don't worry about it. He doesn't mean it."

"I know he doesn't really mean it, but that doesn't make it hurt any less." Bulma sighed. "I'm just afraid something will happen to him and it will be months before he makes it to Callisto. Without our bond being repaired, I won't know what's going on with him."

"You can't feel him at all?"

"I can a little. And we were able to communicate a bit, but it's not the same. It's really hard and when he does speak to me it's distant and he sounds so far away. He still hasn't let down that wall. I don't know how it works but maybe it's something he will have to gradually work at letting go instead of like a switch."

Kakarott shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't tried to block Chi-Chi ever, so I can't help you there."

"Lucky for her." Bulma said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, try not to worry too much about it. I'm sure everything will be fine. If Vegeta said he would be coming, he will do everything he can to make sure it's as quickly as possible." Kakarott said knowingly. "And if I know Vegeta, I am certain that now that he knows you're alive, he'll make sure you guys aren't apart for long. He might be grouchy, but he feels very deeply for you."

"They why didn't he reestablish our bond?" she asked dejectedly. She had accepted his explanation at the time that morning, but now that they were apart, she was beginning to panic again and doubt him. What if he was only relieved that she was alright but really didn't want to reopen their bond now that he had convinced himself she was nothing more than a weakness to him? What if now that they were apart he thought about it and decided to not come find her after all? That he was better off without her? She knew she was being ridiculous, but couldn't help her mind from jumping to all sorts of conclusions.

"Bulma, I think he's just overwhelmed." Kakarott said comfortingly. "He's changed. I lived with him under Frieza before, for seven years when we were young. It's not something that you just walk away from unscathed. I don't even want to know what he's had to endure. He did mention to me that he had been involved with a bunch of really bad stuff he didn't want you knowing about."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. He didn't elaborate. After my time with Frieza, I can only assume the worst. We were both sent on missions and made to do many horrible things. You don't have a choice. If Frieza is pissed at him for everything that went down with you, he's probably been sending him on every vile, horrible mission he can think of."

Bulma shook her head. "He has changed; and not for the better. He's so hard and distant. I mean he always was really reserved and had a hard time expressing emotion or affection. I got used to that, I don't need him to worship me and reassure me every five minutes; and I know that it's just the way you Saiyans are. But now it's different. We got into an argument like not ten minutes after he came to see me. He pretty much told me he regretted the bond and that I am nothing but a weakness to hold him back."

"Bulma, just leave it. I know it's hard, but trust me, he'll come around again. He doesn't mean it. Think about it, if he really thought that, would he have come to see you in the first place? Did he know it was you when you ran into him?"

"Not at first, no. He came after me and interrogated me rather harshly. I thought he was going to shake me, Kakarott. He was pretty scary. Once he figured it out, he was alright."

"Exactly. Would he have come to see you if he really felt that way?"

"Probably not, but he could have just come to find out what had happened. He told me he had been blaming himself for our deaths all these months. So he could have just come for closure."

"Maybe, but I highly doubt it. If he said he will come find us, he will."

"I know he meant it when he said it, but what if now that I'm gone, he decides he's better off. I know him. He obsesses over things and once he makes up his mind on something, he'll do it whether it's good for him or not. He's stubborn that way."

"He is. Well, there's not much we can do for him now. All I can say is if he doesn't, then we'll just start planting bombs again." Kakarott shrugged, smirking thinking of how much that would piss him off. "Vegeta tends to push away those closest to him, especially when he's not alright. I saw him today, he's far from alright."

"I know." Bulma nodded. "That's why I'm afraid to leave him."

"It'll be okay, Bulma." Kakarott said. "Trust me, he needs you more than both of you know. You are going to have to be strong for him. Who knows what he's really been through these past months. If anyone can help him, it'll be you."

Bulma shrugged. "I don't know what I can do, but I'll try my best. I can't do anything if he keeps pushing me away."

"Just don't give up on him."

"I won't." Bulma nodded. She was so worried about him. "Well, I'm tired. I am going to take a nap if that's okay. I'll make us something to eat in a bit." She said, getting up to leave to her small bedroom on the ship. She was exhausted, even though it was only a little bit after noontime. She felt emotionally drained.

She closed the door and crawled into bed. She thought about everything that had just happened. She was ecstatic that she and Vegeta had finally reunited, but had a nagging feeling in her gut that leaving him had been the wrong thing to do. She tried to reach out to him but felt nothing. He must have still had his stupid wall up. She could, however sense that he was content. A far cry from the anxious dreadful feeling she had picked up from him all these months. She relaxed, feeling relieved that he seemed to be alright for the time being and drifted off to sleep. She knew they would find a way through and everything would work itself out.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta got up and checked the stats on the ship and grumbled. This ship was so slow! At this rate, a two day trip would take him almost three days! He wondered briefly how Bulma was doing. He had a feeling she was upset with him. The thought of her being upset with him bothered him a lot more than he would have liked. He lowered his carefully crafted mental wall a bit and sought her out. She seemed calm but unresponsive. He assumed maybe she was sleeping. He smirked at the thought; neither one of them had gotten much sleep the night before.

He walked briefly around the small one-person ship and grunted. There was no room for him to even decapsulate the gravity room to train while this hunk of junk got him to his destination. There wasn't much room to do much more than sit ups and pushups. He should have looked for something a bit more practical for his needs. Now that he'd been thinking about it. He wished he had done a lot of things different. He should have blown up his ship like he had originally wanted to do. The reason he hadn't was because he thought by quietly slipping away it may be weeks before Frieza decided to check in on him and he would be long gone and untraceable by then, even if he did send out bounty hunters. Maybe faking his death like he had originally planned would have been a better plan. He shrugged. He would worry about Lord Frieza when the time came. Right now all he wanted to do was join Bulma and make things right with her. Have a few weeks or if he were fortunate enough, maybe even a few months of peace to relax and perfect his ascension. He was dying to experiment uninhibitedly and push his new abilities to their limits and Kakarott would be a valuable asset. It would not hurt him to train as well. He may not be able to ascend, but he was always not far behind him in strength and was an extremely valuable ally. Though he would make sure Frieza's death was by his own hands and no one else's.

Since there was nothing to do, he decided to take off his armor and just try to make himself comfortable as possible. He saw Bulma's ipod fall out from the inside of his breast plate and onto the floor. He had meant to give that back to her, but then figured he would be seeing her soon enough anyway. He turned it on and began to scroll through the library. He could not remember the name of the classical bit he had liked before and hadn't been able to stumble on it again, there was so much on there he still hadn't listened to it all. He just remembered it was a requiem mass. He scrolled through and started going through more applications he hadn't looked through before. He found more videos but not of her. They were of people performing various things. Some were videos of scantily clad women singing songs much like what Bulma had been performing. He watched some of them briefly. None really held his interest for more than a few moments before he moved on. In his opinion, Bulma was much more talented and beautiful than any of them.

He skipped through a few more and found a trio of guys playing instruments. The lead singer was a small-built but tall skinny guy with short black spiky hair wearing a tacky red suit. Vegeta scoffed at him. What a small man! However, the song he began to play with his band was one he recognized before from listening to Bulma's ipod on random over the past few days. It was a neat tune he had listened to repeatedly and the words appealed to him. He assumed this was the artist who's song it was. He watched fascinated as he sang and played an instrument expertly with two other band members. It was flawless. He admitted that this guy was very talented and must have been very dedicated to his craft. He did not know anything about music, but he recognized and respected dedication to anything that required talent and precision. He sat back and decided to watch it. It seemed to be a whole performance that was almost two hours long. When it was done, he watched it again. He didn't know who they were, and made note to ask Bulma some time. He was more than intrigued. They sang passionately of freedom and fallen governments, killing democracy and fools for leaders. He smirked. Sounded like his life situation.

After watching them a second time, he found another artist performance. Something called NIN. He did not know what that meant, but was extremely impressed with him as well. At least the woman had good tasted in music from what he had seen so far. This artist was just as talented as the guys in the other one he had watched. He played multiple instruments like the lead singer of the other one too. He wondered briefly why his planet did not seem to have artists like these. Sure they had artists and players but nothing like any of these performers on Bulma's ipod.

He scrolled through some more once that performance was done. She had a bunch of applications labeled 'Movies' and started scrolling through. He chose one called Inception and settled in. He didn't have much else to do to keep himself entertained.

_**Two days later** _

Bulma stretched as she and Kakarott exited the ship. This two day trip seemed to drag on way longer than the usual. She figured it was because she was sad about having to leave Vegeta.

They walked together back to the house silently. Chi-Chi and the dogs met up with them half way up the front yard.

"Hey, guys!" Bulma greeted the two dogs as they happily jumped all over her, expressing their happiness with her return. "We're you good boys for Chi-Chi?"

"They were alright." Chi-Chi replied, still hugging Kakarott.

"What happened?" Bulma asked.

"Well, they just don't listen to me!" Chi-Chi replied in an irritated tone. "Yamcha keeps dropping by to see you and then they freak out and they don't listen to me when I tell them to leave him be."

"Ugh!" Bulma groaned, rolling her eyes. "Seriously? Chi-Chi, what does he want?"

"He just wants to talk to you." Chi-Chi shrugged. "The dogs scared the crap out of him yesterday and he hasn't been back since, but other than that, every day he came by looking for you."

Bulma had run into Yamcha a few weeks after she, Chi-Chi and Kakarott had settled in. She had been working on Danger's attention in the market. A nice busy atmosphere with many distractions for the young puppy; she had not been paying attention until Yamcha had seen her from across the market and so avoiding him was impossible. She had been polite to him, told him it had been nice to know that he was alright and had been more than relieved to see that he had already found a new girlfriend to fawn all over him. What were the odds he would find a blue-haired girl that was almost the spitting image of her, except for the fact the poor girl was dumber than a sack of hammers on a Wednesday afternoon? She seemed like a nice enough girl but wow was she dumb. On the other hand, that was exactly what Yamcha needed: A bimbo that could not think for herself to worship him day and night.

She was sincerely glad he had moved on; she definitely had. However, since she had run into him, he would not leave her alone! He kept insisting they go out together to get closure or something stupid. She had no interest. She had told him about Vegeta and that they were married and that was all the closure she needed. That hadn't sat well with him and they ended up getting into a huge argument. Harsh words had been said on both sides and ever since then, he had been trying to mend fences with her. She had no interest. He just didn't get it! The last time they had spoken he had taken a stab at her accusing her of lying about Vegeta because if she had married this man, where was he and why had he dumped her here on her own for months on end? She refused to speak to him since then. That had been months ago and he was still pushing the issue. The last time he had come to the house, she had sent the dogs out after him. Not to bite or do any physical damage, but to scare him off. It had worked and now whenever they had seen him since, they would kick up a fuss. It was almost like a game to them and Bulma thought it was so funny she never called them off when they got riled up. Yamcha didn't have to know that they wouldn't actually hurt him.

"I just wish he would leave me alone!" Bulma grumbled. "We both survived. He has a girlfriend. I have a husband. He's happy, I'm happy why can't he just let it go? I have nothing to say to him!"

"Just talk to him, Bulma." Chi-Chi whined.

"I don't want to." Bulma sighed.

"You can't ignore him forever." Chi-Chi said. "By the way, did you have any success this time?"

"Yeah, I did. He came." Bulma replied with a smile and nod.

"That's it?" Chi-Chi asked, raising an eyebrow. "I would have thought you'd be walking on air. Did it go alright or did something happen?"

"Vegeta is just a little tense and angry right now." Kakarott said, feeling left out.

"He didn't want to see Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked.

"No, they met up. It's just that-"

"Kakarott!" Bulma whined. "Chi-Chi, come with me. We'll walk the dogs, and I'll tell you all about it. Okay?"

"Alright. But you are walking them both. Not me." Chi-Chi nodded. "Dinner should almost be ready, go and help yourself. I'll be back soon."

Bulma ran to the house and grabbed both leashes for the dogs and a ball. She paused for a moment as she watched Kakarott hold Chi-Chi in a gentle embrace asking how she was feeling. It seemed like such an intimate moment between them that she felt bad coming back outside. She remembered when she had first met Vegeta, he was like that every once in a while in private. She wondered briefly if he would ever be that way again. He had loosened up a bit before they parted ways, but he was still stiff and distant. She just hoped that time would undo everything and he could learn to relax again a little.

"See you guys in a bit!" Kakarott said as he let his mate go and headed into the house.

Bulma hooked up the dogs and off they went, Danger on her left and Aro on her right; both dogs heeling perfectly at her sides.

"So, what happened, Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Well, everything went as planned, more or less." Bulma shrugged. "He figured out who I was and then followed the directions on the note I gave him. He even showed up twenty minutes early."

"Well, that's good." Chi-Chi commented.

"It was." Bulma nodded.

"So, what happened then?"

"Chi, he's changed so much. He's so cold and hard and angry." Bulma said, trying not to cry. "Instead of being happy, we just ended up fighting not ten minutes after he showed up."

"Fighting? Why?"

"He spent all these months under Frieza doing who knows what horrible things. He has done nothing but blame himself for the deaths of Kakarott and myself."

"Did he say why he ignored you?" Chi-Chi asked, crossing her arms and scowling.

"He did try to get a hold of me through the bond for almost a week. He gave up and then, just like I had figured, he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him. He figured either that or I was haunting him from the afterlife. Oh, Chi, he kept looking at me like I was a ghost and that he half expected me to vanish." She said. "I can't fault him for that."

"Alright, so why were you guys fighting then?"

"He said that I am nothing but a weakness to him."

"Nice thing to say to your wife who you thought was dead for eight months." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes. "So what happened?"

"I got upset with him. He came on to me and we were making out when he said he needed me, I pushed him away. I was stupid, I know, but he hurt me. I told him how I agonized over him these past eight months. How his severing our bond affected me. He just shrugged. He didn't even know what to say. Then he accused me of wanting to demean his pride or whatever. He was so cold and unfeeling."

"So then what?"

"I just let it go." Bulma shrugged, letting both dogs off their leashes to run in the open field in front of them. She threw the ball and both dogs took off, trying to beat each other to it first. "He does need me. He's so messed up. I can't explain it. He has like this half-crazed, almost frantic look about him now. Like, he always was a hard person before. Doesn't express much emotion, but when we were together, it was different. Now he's all withdrawn and angry."

"Did he hurt you, Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked seriously, worried for her friend.

"No." Bulma shook her head. Aro returned the ball to her. After making both dogs sit, she threw it again for them. "He was a little rough when we first got together, but he didn't hurt me. Don't worry; he more than made up for it later on. He didn't mean it. I was just as desperate in my need to him as he was for me. It was kind of exciting, actually."

"Still. None of this is your fault. He has no right to be angry with you."

"That's just it, Chi. He wasn't angry with me. He's angry at the situation. He wasn't impressed that Kakarott and I did what we did with the bombs. He was upset at that, but we knew that anyway."

"So, what now?" Chi-Chi asked. "Did you guys fix your bond? Is he coming here at some point?"

"Yeah, he'll be coming here once he cleans up the mess Kakarott and I created. No, he didn't fix our bond." Bulma said sadly. "Something about him not being proud of the things he was made to do and he didn't want me distracting him. I understand it, but it still really upset me. He said he would make things right again between us when he comes here."

"Who knows how long that will be. What if he never shows up? Then what? Bulma, I can't believe you let him off the hook like that!"

"I know. I was upset, but I trust him. I know it wasn't that he didn't want to. Every time we were intimate, I could feel his desire to reopen it and he would linger around my neck and then just not do it. I trust that when he's ready he will. I think he's just worried I'll judge him or whatever."

"Well, he should know you well enough to know that you wouldn't." Chi-Chi replied, obviously not impressed.

Bulma nodded. "I'm so glad we found him though! Everything was so perfect when we were together again. I can't wait for him to get here. Please don't be mad at him. I probably haven't explained it right. I know I'm just being overly sensitive is all."

Chi-Chi nodded. She understood to a degree. She didn't agree with it, but she could understand both sides. She had caught glimpses of Kakarott's past as a soldier in Frieza's army well. It wasn't nice. However, he had never let it diffuse his happy nature. "Let's hope he gets here soon then. You both can stay with us. It's so nice here. He can hopefully unwind, hey? Blow off some steam with Kakarott. He's been anxious for him to finally make it here because I am no challenge to him. He said they were close. I am sure between the two of you, you both can get him calmed down. I mean, everyone has their breaking point, right?"

Bulma nodded. She was hoping. She just hoped that she would be strong enough to help him get through whatever it was he had been through. She wanted to help him, but knew if she pushed, he would just push away from her harder. "How's everything with you?"

"Alright. I'm really tired." She sighed. She was barely even showing. "I'm a bit worried that I'm so tired this early on. What will it be like even two months from now and I have three to go from there?"

Bulma giggled. "You'll be fine. With Kakarott and I not having to leave on any more missions, we can help out more."

"Thanks, B." Chi-Chi said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "So, what are you going to do about Yamcha?"

"I don't know." Bulma groaned. "Probably nothing until Vegeta gets here. I'll let him deal with him. He can be royally escorted off our property by his Highness personally. Maybe then he'll get the hint."

"What do you think Vegeta will do? Does he know about you and Yamcha?"

"Yeah. I mentioned it briefly. He's not impressed with him. So I am sure he'll take great delight in informing him that he has taken up with his former woman." Bulma laughed, mocking Vegeta's foreign accent. Chi-Chi rolled her eyes.

Bulma hooked up the dogs up again after a few more ball tosses and the two women made their way back to the house. Chi-Chi served them all a wonderful dinner and Bulma excused herself and went to bed early after a much needed relaxing shower.

_**Several hours later, that same night…** _

Vegeta landed on the planet Callisto. He had made better time than he had originally thought he would. It was dark out and no one was monitoring the shipping docks, much to his utter and complete disbelief. Any one- friend or enemy could just land here? He shook his head and headed up the shipping dock and searched out both Bulma and Kakarott's energy signal. He sensed them not overly far away from where he was. Bulma's just barely discernible. He was about to take to the air when a small older man approached him.

"Excuse me, Sir." He said, walking up to him. "I need your name and registration for your ship and your business here."

"My name does not matter." He sneered at the puny older man. "My business is my own but if you must know, I am here for my mate, Bulma. I haven't a clue what that junk heap's registration number is. Go find it yourself. It's open and I have no intention of using it again." he said, brushing past him.

"Are you a Saiyan, Sir?"

"What does that matter?" Vegeta growled.

"I just need to know, sir. There is one other Saiyan here as well."

"I know. The clown, Kakarott. I will be seeing him as well." Vegeta said and without further word, took to the air quickly, leaving the old man stunned on the shipping dock.

Vegeta flew as fast as he could towards Kakarott's energy signal. He could only just barely pick up Bulma. He assumed she must have been asleep already. He smirked to himself at how surprised she would be to see him again so soon.

-0-0-0-

Kakarott was still sitting in the kitchen with Chi-Chi. He had really missed her. They were talking about Bulma and Vegeta. Chi-Chi was mad and he was trying to explain things in Vegeta's defense. She was concerned about her friend. However, she was judging him much too harshly in her effort to protect her friend. She just didn't get it.

"I just don't get why he says things like that to her, Kakarott? You're a Saiyan and a warrior. You don't treat me like that." Chi-Chi said.

"I know, but I was also brought up differently than he was." Kakarott replied with a heavy sigh. They had already been through this. "His father is not a nice man. He was taught his whole life that any type of emotion was a weakness and something to be avoided. He let himself care for Bulma and look what happened."

"But none of that was her fault!"

"Of course not. And Vegeta knows that. It's just hard for him. I don't know how to explain it, but believe me, Chi-Chi. He does care very deeply for her. He just will need some time to adjust now that he'll be leaving Frieza's service. It changes you. It's not a healthy environment. I probably only survived it as well as I did because I had Vegeta and my father checked in on us as frequently as he could. Vegeta never had that. He had me and my father, but that's it. Now he has had no one these past months and if I know Lord Frieza, he's probably done everything he could to make Vegeta's life hell. He'll be fine. Just don't be mean to him when he gets here. Please?"

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "Alright, but if he's mean to Bulma, he'll most certainly be getting an ear full from me!"

"He'll be fine, don't worry. They both will. You'll see." He said, pausing for a moment.

"What?" she asked him.

Kakarott smirked. "Everyone might be even finer a whole lot sooner than we thought!" he said, going to the door and opening it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chi-Chi asked, carefully following him.

"He's here." Kakarott said with a big grin.

"Now? Already?" she asked. "Should I go wake up Bulma?"

Kakarot shook his head. "No. Leave her be. Let him go wake her up."

Not a few moments later, Chi-Chi saw a man land on the ground not far from the house. He wasn't very tall. However, she had remembered Bulma saying he wasn't a tall guy. She had caught very vague glimpses of him from her bond with Kakarott when he had shared a few things with her, but she still hadn't gotten a very good picture of him.

The shorter man approached the house slowly, almost as if he were unsure. Chi-Chi was surprised the dogs weren't acting up by now.

"Hey, Vegeta!" Kakarott greeted. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied, a surly frown etched on his features. Chi-Chi stood next to Kakarott, trying to get a better look at this Prince she had heard so much about. He definitely didn't look approachable. Bulma had been right when she had described him as cold and unfeeling. His stony gaze nearly chilled her to the bone. She could not deny he was incredibly handsome though. However, not as handsome as her Kakarott, in her opinion.

"What brought you here so soon? I thought you had a big mess to clean up?"

"I handled it." Vegeta replied. "Where's the Woman?"

"She's asleep, upstairs." Kakarott replied with a silly grin.

"The Woman has a name, you know?" Chi-Chi said with a scowl. How rude!

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, only noticing the raven-haired girl now. He recognized her from the pictures and videos he had seen on Bulma's ipod.

Kakarott giggled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Vegeta, this is Chi-Chi, my mate. Chi-Chi, this is Prince Vegeta. He is the prince of my whole entire race."

The two just nodded at each other in acknowledgement. _What a harpy._ Vegeta thought to himself.

"Would you like me to take you to Bulma? She's been asleep for a while." Kakarott said.

"Well, I did not come all the way here in that hunk of junk ship to visit your third class ass, Kakarott." Vegeta growled.

Chi-Chi stood there and shook her head. _He's so rude!_ She fumed to herself silently. _What on Earth does Bulma see in this guy? Alright, he's easy on the eyes, but I've known him all of eight seconds and he's a complete ass!_

"Alright, follow me. Chi-Chi and I are going to bed right away. I'll take you. Just be mindful of the dogs. They don't really like new people."

"Bulma told me about them." Vegeta replied.

Kakarott quietly opened the bedroom door to Bulma's room. The two Saiyans walked in quietly. Bulma was fast asleep and they noticed two heads with erect ears pop up immediately from on top of the bed. One of them growled low and deep.

"Aro, Danger, here." Kakarott whispered, trying to be quiet, but get the dogs out of her room.

They hopped off the bed and left the room, both eyeing Vegeta very carefully as though sizing him up. Aro growled at him, though was leaning in to try and sniff him. Danger sat behind Aro and watched Vegeta very carefully and silently in his usual aloof demeanor. Vegeta looked down at the dogs and glared at them.

"Aro, Danger, Freund." Kakarott said. He hoped he said it right so they wouldn't go ballistic.

The two dogs stepped closer to Vegeta and sniffed him for a good minute. Once they had a good sniff, their tails wagged.

"It's alright, I told them you're their friend." Kakarott said stifling a giggle from the look Vegeta was giving him. "Outside." He said and the dogs ran down the stairs to go patrol the yard.

"Night, Vegeta." Kakarott said quietly. "I'm glad you're here."

Vegeta simply nodded and quietly crept into Bulma's room, closing the door quietly behind him. He walked up to her and observed her relaxed, sleeping form. Even while asleep in the dark, she looked absolutely beautiful to him. He quickly and quietly took off his clothes and walked to the other side of the bed. Her back was facing him; as she was curled up in a ball, lying on her left side. He carefully crawled into bed, taking great pains to not wake her up. Once in bed, he carefully wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her into him.

Bulma stirred a little in her sleep at being moved. Vegeta snickered and took in her scent. She smelled so good!

"Vegeta." She mumbled in her sleep.

"Hmmn." He murmured into her ear, nipping it lightly hoping she would wake up soon. He squeezed her gently and wrapped his tail around her waist.

Bulma began to stir again, half asleep and not quite awake. She must have been dreaming. Or maybe she still was. She felt familiar strong arms enveloping her entire being. Oh how she had dreamed of this nearly every night. And every morning she would wake up alone. She tried to stretch, to make the feeling go away, but it wouldn't, she thought in confusion. Maybe she was still asleep. She felt a hitch of breath on her neck as though she was being smirked at. Her eyes shot open and she moved her head to the side to look over her shoulder and had her lips met with his. There he was! He was here with her! She was sure she was awake and not dreaming. She felt awake.

She moaned as he kissed her urgently. She managed to turn herself around in his arms so that she was facing him.

"Vegeta?" She whispered.

"Woman." He whispered back huskily to her, his forehead touching hers.

She smiled at him and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck, trying to get as close to him as physically possible. "What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I said I would come find you."

"I know, but this soon? How were you able to get away so fast?"

"Does it matter?' He asked. He did not want a long drawn out conversation with her. He wanted her body and everything she had to offer and he wanted her now. They could discuss it in the morning.

"No." she giggled quietly, running her hands through his hair. She pulled on his neck, trying to maneuver herself underneath him. He followed her lead and positioned himself over top of her, kissing her deeply as though his life depended on it.

_**Author's note: Warning. Mature content. If you are under 18 or don't like reading about adults doing husband and wife things, feel free to skip the rest of this chapter. Happy Valentine's Day and have a great weekend and please review!** _

He kissed her hungrily. His hands were all over her. He made quick work of her tiny shorts, slipping them down off her legs, scoffing at how small they were. He wondered briefly why she even bothered and then tossed them over his shoulder. In the urgency of his heated desire, he ripped her flimsy tank top down the middle, earning him a growl from her, which he ignored all together. With her body free from clothing or anything else shielding her from him, he took one of her breasts and began to suckle hungrily at it while fondling the other one. His thumb and pointer finger gently pinching at her nipple; making it pucker. He went back to her mouth and attacked it greedily, kissing her deeply, grinding his thigh into her center.

Bulma writhed underneath him, kissing him back as passionately as she could; trying to communicate to him how happy she was that he was here with her. It didn't matter how or why. He was here, in her bed, ravaging her the way only he knew how. She boldly ran her hand down his muscular back and reached for his tail.

"No." he murmured to her between kisses. "Please don't." he said, taking her hand, placing it above her head and laced his fingers with hers. "I will not last long if you do that."

Bulma giggled and began kissing him back. She did not want that.

He ran his other hand down her flat stomach and between her legs, inserting two fingers deep into her core and began pumping them in and out of her slowly, wanting to draw this out. He was pleased by how wet she already was for him. It made him feel good that he obviously affected her just as much as she affected him. He licked and nipped up along her jaw line and down her neck to her collar bone as he continued to pleasure her with his fingers.

By this point, she was gasping and panting, trying not to moan. She did not want to disturb everyone else in the house. She heard Vegeta smirk at her as though he knew she was trying to be discreet and knew he was not going to make this easy for her. He then did something she never thought he would do, ever. He travelled his lips agonizingly slow down her chest and abdomen, alternating between licking and nipping.

She closed her legs shyly as he worked his way down between them. He growled playfully at her modesty and gently parted them, exposing her fully to him. The scent of her arousal was intoxicating to him. He bent down and began devouring her center.

Bulma panted and fisted one of her hands in the sheets and one in his hair. She barely held back a shriek as he continued to pleasure her with his fingers and mouth. She could not help herself under his ministrations and bucked her hips into his face, urging him on. She never thought anything could feel this amazing. It was almost overwhelming.

Vegeta smirked at her as he continued on. Never in his life had he thought he would want to pleasure a woman in this way. He could tell the way she was squirming that she was close. He upped his efforts to a more urgent pace and waited patiently for her to reach her pleasure peak.

She sighed loudly, stifling a scream as she came violently. She covered her mouth with her hand and panted as waves of pleasure washed through her. Once she felt herself under control, she reached for him and pulled him up towards her, kissing him deeply. She could taste herself on his lips and tongue. That she willingly kissed him after he had just done what he had done turned him on even more.

She reached down and took his engorged member into her small hand and stroked him gently. She loved how he growled in response to her. She quickly retracted her hand and sat up in front of him. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her.

Bulma placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him so that he was lying down, glad that he went along with what she wanted. She crawled on top of him and smiled down at him lovingly. She had never done this, but she had read enough trashy romance novels that she was pretty sure she could pull it off. She straddled his hips and bent down, kissing him passionately. She teasingly kissed him up his jaw line, down his neck and across his chest, just as he had done to her minutes ago. She stopped and sucked on one of his nipples and then bit down; loving the reaction she got out of him. She looked up at him coyly and continued her journey downwards, alternating between kissing him and running her tongue down his perfectly sculptured abdomen.

When she finally reached her destination, she stroked him gently, pleased that he was already standing at attention. She smiled shyly at him and then decided to take the plunge. She ran her tongue up and down his member while still stroking him gently; his grunts and sighs, giving her confidence that she was obviously doing something right. She then took his length into her mouth and began to bob slowly up and down, while sucking lightly and licking him. She heard him moan and sped up her ministrations.

Vegeta closed his eyes, reveling and giving into the pleasure she was bestowing up on him. How had they not participated in this before, he wondered. He knew he was close, and reached for her. She stopped and looked up at him questioningly.

"Enough." He growled, pulling her up to him and kissing her. She straddled his lap again and giggled at him as he sat up to meet her. He took both sides of her face in his large hands and kissed her deeply before flipping her over so that he was on top of her. They both moaned as he entered her slowly in one motion, filling her completely. He slowly began to make love to her, much the same way he had the night they had first consummated their relationship. She wrapped her legs around his lean well-built torso, pulling him in closer to her.

He moaned her name in her ear and proceeded to kiss and nip his way down her neck. He sucked on the spot on her neck where he had bitten her before and without hesitation, he bit her again.

Bulma winced at the sudden sharp pain, but at the same time welcomed it and the whirlwind rush of feeling and emotion that came with it. She inhaled deeply at the onslaught of emotion and thoughts she was bombarded with while at the same time relieved and thankful that he had decided to share himself with her now. She had been so afraid after they had parted ways last time that he wouldn't want to for a long time. Here he was now, keeping up to his word and opening himself up to her once again.

He showed her everything. He showed her how Frieza had beaten him the day they were meant to leave after they had mated and bonded. He showed her his feelings of dread, rage and despair when he saw his ship blown up and had thought she had been killed. She saw and felt the rage he felt in his attempt to fight Frieza and then the despair of being unable to. He quickly showed her the pride he felt in announcing her as his mate in front of everyone despite the despair of thinking her gone and the ridicule he had received.

She felt his despair and franticness in his effort to reach out to her repeatedly through their bond and his reluctant acceptance that he had lost her. He had failed her. The overwhelming sense of shame from his failure flooded through her so strongly, she could have cried. He moved on quickly and showed her very briefly the sick and nauseating feeling every time he had to be in Lord Frieza's presence. How violated he felt as the disgusting Lizard Lord mentally undressed him with his eyes and how hard it was to completely ignore him and act like he didn't notice. He showed her a few different missions; each one horrific. Death, destruction and more death; senseless killing of young families and innocent planets.

He cut the flash backs short. Not wanting to show her anymore. He showed her how hard it had been on him to sever their bond despite his stubborn insistence upon doing so; then the relief and exuberant feelings he had when he had bumped into her on the street and realized it was her. The feelings of disbelief and sheer happiness that she had somehow made it through. He showed her the incredible guilt at the knowledge he had ignored her and severed their bond when she had been just fine. Then it was there, the unbelievable shame he felt for everything. For being unable to protect her and for repeatedly not listening to her and shutting her out when she had reached out to him.

Bulma pulled him closer, wrapping her arms tightly around him, trying to chase away these feelings of intense shame he had. She reassured him of her love and acceptance; her pure happiness that he had come for her and her assurance that everything would be fine now. She once again sent him every feeling of adoration, faith, hope and pride she felt for him.

It didn't take long and he released himself within her, completely spent. He all but collapsed on top of her, burying his head in her neck. She gently stroked his hair soothingly, not saying anything to him. There was nothing she could say. She held back the tidal wave of emotion threatening to burst forth. Emotion for everything. For him; for her. For them and everything that had happened. She wanted to cry for him for everything he had endured. Shed the tears she knew he never would; however she also knew that to cry would shame him even further. He would not appreciate it. She was just thankful he had shared with her some part of the huge burden he carried. She knew it would take time, but she was determined to help him so that he didn't have to carry it all on his own.

So she lay there quietly, beneath him and soothed him as best she could. After a few moments, he looked down at her with a very serious look on his face. He bent down and kissed her chastely; thankful that she had accepted their bond again after he had chosen not to on their last meeting; especially after he had told her she was nothing but a weakness to him and putting her through what he did by severing their bond and ignoring her. He hadn't been a very good mate to her so far.

 _ **Don't ever think that. None of this was your fault. I don't blame you. It was all beyond your control and just as you said the other night- what's done is done and cannot be undone. We can and will fix it together.**_ She said confidently to him, testing their link.

 _ **I will make it up to you.**_ He replied, still looking at her intensely.

_**Does that mean you'll stay here for a while?** _

He nodded.

 _ **Good! You need some down time.**_ She said with a huge smile. _**I'm so glad you're here. I felt horrible leaving you back there. I was so afraid something else would happen and it would be months before you might get a chance to come here.**_

_**That's why I left. I will stay here with you and train with Kakarott. Then I will rid this universe of Frieza and anyone else who dares to stand in my way.** _

_**Sounds like a plan!**_ She thought back to him. She then slyly reached for his tail again, raising an eyebrow mischievously, trying to lighten his mood.

 _ **Lusty wench.**_ He growled at her and began moving inside her again. It was going to be a long night, not that either of them minded. They both had a lot of catching up to do and the both planned on doing just that.

-0-0-0-

Bulma was awakened by the sound of noses sniffing and snorting on the other side of the door. It was already light out. She assumed it must have been late. She never slept in this late. She smiled to herself as she felt Vegeta's arms tighten around her waist and snuggled in closer into his warm embrace, closing her eyes again, relishing the feeling of being in his arms once again and thankful that it all hadn't been just a wishful dream or fantasy.

Last night had been incredible. She was still wrapping her mind around the fact that Vegeta was actually here with her. They had worked all night at fixing, enforcing and strengthening their bond again. Now it was as if Vegeta had never ruined it in the first place. She felt so complete and content. She hoped they could just take a few weeks for themselves. They'd never gotten a chance to really settle in as a couple before all of this happened.

She wiggled herself out of his embrace; snickering as he growled at her sudden absence. She opened her door and let the two dogs in. They bounded onto the bed, disturbing Vegeta from his sleepy haze. He hadn't been asleep, but wasn't quite awake yet either. He groaned irritated as they began to sniff their new house guest with enthusiasm. Bulma giggled.

"Would you get these infernal beasts off of me?" he grumbled irritably after getting a cold nose in the ear.

Bulma hopped back into bed and reached for Danger, pulling the lanky Doberman into her lap while leaning forward and patting the end of the bed for Aro to come lay down there. "They really like you." She commented.

"Hmmn." Vegeta grumbled. "What's not to like?"

Bulma rolled her eyes. "I agree, but normally they don't take to new people right away."

"Kakarott told them I was a friend last night or something just as dumb when they came out of your room."

"Ohh. Still, they usually aren't this quick to be so accepting."

"They're smart, obviously." Vegeta said. "They understand who's really in charge around here."

"Is that so?" Bulma asked coyly.

"Hmmn." He replied, glaring at the Doberman, who was laying relaxed between them, putting distance between him and his mate.

"So, what do you want to do today?" she asked with a yawn.

Vegeta shrugged. "What do you normally do?"

"Well, normally I would have been up a few hours ago, so I probably missed out on training with Kakarott and Chi-Chi. Today I don't have sword play. That's tomorrow. So, I would just spend some extra time with the dogs I guess." She said. "Why don't we get up and eat and then we can take the dogs for a walk. I'll take you to the market and show you around. Maybe introduce you to a few people. Then you and Kakarott can spend some time training and I'll help Chi-Chi with whatever she needs. "

"Alright." He sighed, getting out of bed. He was hungry.

Bulma sat up and watched him walk around the room in search of his clothes. She smiled to herself as she took in all of his naked glory until he spoiled the view by putting on his blue flight suit; which really didn't spoil it that much. It only accentuated his flawless figure. He reached for his armor.

"You don't need to wear that." Bulma said as he began putting it on.

"Of course I do." He replied, looking at her like she was insane. "I do not go anywhere without my armor on."

"I know, but it's a bit more relaxed here. Kakarott doesn't wear his. He got a nice loose fitting outfit that's both comfortable and practical so-"

"I saw. He looks like a clown and disgraces his Saiyan heritage." Vegeta interrupted, stubbornly pulling on his non-formal armor.

"Vegeta, it's too hot here for you to be walking all over the place in your armor all day every day. Also, Kakarott only had the one piece of armor to wear, as do you. You can't just wear that all the time; it'll get all worn out for when you really need it."

"Well then maybe you need to make me some new armor since you have said time and again how you have nothing much else to do on this mud ball." He said, pulling on his white boots and standing up to look at her, his usual scowl etched into his handsome features.

Buima thought about it for a moment. There was an idea. She nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. When we go the market today you can help me choose what kind of material to make you some more and we'll see what I can come up with. I know I can make you another flight suit. They have a similar material there. I've seen it."

"Hmmn." Vegeta nodded, accepting that. "Are you going to get up or are you just going to sit there and stare at me all day?"

Bulma smiled. "I certainly wouldn't mind doing that, but no, I'm getting up." She said while climbing out of bed. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her nude form against him. "I'm so happy you came back." She said, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Hmmn." He replied, giving her a quick peck and releasing her hold on him. "Get dressed. I will wait for you downstairs." He said and then left her room, sighing irritably as Aro jumped off the bed and decided to go with him.

Bulma sighed to herself; it seemed like he had just reverted back to his old grouchy self again. She didn't understand it. Last night he had been so tender and gentle with her and held back nothing from her. She in turn held back nothing from him and did all she could to show him how much she valued him and his presence in her life; chasing away his doubts and feelings of guilt, shame and inadequacy. He had been an open book to her last night and already, he had closed himself off again; distancing himself from her. It was such a stark contrast, she wondered briefly if last night had even happened.

She threw on a black tight pair of work out pants that flattered her toned bottom and thighs and gradually flared out at the bottom and put on a matching tank top made of the same material, with a blue stripe on the sides and zipped up in the front, nicely accentuating her cleavage. She figured if they were going out and she was going to be showing him around, she wanted to look presentable at his side. She quickly ran a brush through her short, bed-raggled hair; applied come lip gloss and mascara and was ready to go.

Bulma bounced down the stairs, Danger following her. She saw Vegeta standing in the kitchen leaning against the counter with a plate, chowing down on what was left of breakfast. Chi-Chi was sitting at the table, looking very uncomfortable. She gave Bulma a relieved look as she appeared.

"Hey!" Bulma greeted. "Sorry we slept in."

"No worries." Chi-Chi said. "What's your guys plans for today? Kakarott is just out getting something huge for dinner later on. I am not sure what he is planning."

"Well, I wanted to show Vegeta around. Introduce him to some people." Bulma said, letting the dogs out and grabbing a plate and some breakfast for herself. "I'm going to get supplies to make the guys new armor and flight suits while we're out in the market. Is there anything you want us to grab while we're out?"

"No, I think Kakarott's got that covered." Chi-Chi said. "Why are you making armor?"

"Because Vegeta only has this one and needs more. You know, for variety. I figured I'd made some for Kakarott too. Well, flight suits anyway I know I can do. Armor, I'll see what's in the market if they have anything adequate."

Chi-Chi turned and looked at Vegeta. "You know, it's really hot here. You aren't going to need it. Just get something light and comfortable."

"I will wear my armor." Vegeta replied simply.

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes and looked at her friend. Bulma stifled a chuckle. "We already had that conversation this morning."

"Oh." Chi-Chi replied. The thought of Vegeta participating in an actual conversation, foreign to her. So far he had barely spoken a word to her.

"Alright, I'm ready. How about you, Vegeta?" she asked, placing her plate in the sink and washing it.

"Hmmn." He replied, handing her his plate and walking outside.

"Oh my God, Bulma! Seriously?!" Chi-Chi exclaimed in a hoarse whisper so he couldn't hear her.

"What?"

"He has like the personality of a stump, Bulma!"

"No, he doesn't. Chi." Bulma replied, rolling her eyes at her friend while washing his plate. "Just give him a chance. He's been through a lot. It's going to probably take him a while to really relax. Plus he doesn't really have a lot to say."

"I'll say." Chi-Chi replied. "I tried talking to him before you came down and all I got out of him was yes and no answers and 'Is there anything to eat around here, Woman?'"

"It's going to take him a while to feel comfortable." Bulma shrugged. "Just give him some space. Last night we fixed our bond and everything was amazing."

"Well that's something at least." Chi-Chi said, relieved for her friend.

"Chi, he's been through so much and is still blaming himself for everything that happened. He's just kinda wound a little too tightly."

"Just a little?"

"Look, I don't know how long it's been since he actually had the opportunity to relax. It may even be years. Just please don't judge him too harshly. Cut him some slack."

"Alright." Chi-Chi sighed, truthfully, she really wasn't impressed with Vegeta. He just came across as very cold, unfeeling and arrogant. She hoped Bulma was right and he just needed some time to relax and settle in. Though she had a feeling even then, he was nothing like Kakarott. "See you in a bit. Try not to have too much fun."

Bulma rolled her eyes at her friend's sarcasm and left, grabbing both dogs' leashes. Vegeta was standing in the middle of the yard, watching both dogs run around and play. She called both of them to her and hooked them both up. "You want one?" she asked.

"Whatever." He replied with a shrug.

Bulma handed him Aro's leash seeing as the dog seemed to have taken an instant liking to him. "Hold it loose in your left hand, like this, and he'll walk nicely with you." She said and off they went.

They headed into the market place first. Bulma showed him around and introduced him to a few of the vendors she usually dealt with on a regular basis. He nodded politely to any one she introduced him to but was not much for conversation. She noticed if they lingered too long, he looked extremely uncomfortable.

They finally reached the vendor who sold fabric. She held out Vegeta's arm to the lady and explained that she needed material like that or similar. The lady had just the thing. She had several different colors in a very similar type of material as Vegeta's flight suit. Bulma was excited and tried to get Vegeta to offer his input, though he was as indifferent as usual. He chose black and royal blue. Bulma rolled her eyes at him. She had tried to convince him to get the red, or the dark green, which she thought contrasted nicely with his olive skin, but he just shook his head at her. In the end, she bought more than enough material in black, blue and grey.

Despite his outright refusal, she also bought him a few t-shirts and tank tops; taking special care to ensure that all of them were either black or blue. She also bought him some shorts she figured he could use for training and a few loose-fitting pairs of pants. She insisted that he would need these clothes since wearing his armor all the time would not be practical or comfortable. In the end, he grudgingly agreed and let her buy whatever she wanted. It was extremely hot out, he reasoned. Bulma snickered as she grabbed a few lighter, colorful shirts for him when he wasn't looking.

They continued on, walking together in companionable silence. Every once in a while Bulma would point something out to him and he would simply nod. He was proud that she had managed to build a life here and seemed comfortable here. He just wasn't sure where he would fit in. He wasn't one for shopping in markets and conversing with everyone he passed on the street. He just simply liked to just go out and do his thing and be done as quickly as possible when he absolutely had to do his own shopping.

They made it to yet another vendor that had a type of metal material Bulma thought may be able to be used as armor for Vegeta. They looked at it and conversed with the man Vegeta acknowledged that the metal this man had would be acceptable for armor. Bulma and the vendor got Vegeta to reluctantly agree to lend him his armor as a prototype; though not today. Bulma wanted to sketch down some modifications first, plus she did not want to overwhelm Vegeta too much today.

She decided she had tormented him enough for one day and decided to head back home. He hadn't said much, but she had enjoyed having him accompany her nonetheless. She loved that they could enjoy each other's company without having an ongoing conversation at all times. They were almost back to the house when Yamcha ran up to her, reaching for her arm in an effort to catch her attention. "Hey, B! You're back."

Bulma rolled her eyes and yanked her arm out of his hand irritably. Why he always felt the need to touch her annoyed her to no end. "What do you want, Yamcha? I am extremely busy."

Vegeta glared at the other man who had the audacity to just reach out and grab his mate. He instantly recognized him from the pictures and videos from Bulma's ipod as her loser ex-mate. So he had survived. He wondered why she hadn't mentioned anything to him about it. _**Because he's an idiot and I have been trying my best to ignore him. That's why.**_ She said back to him, picking up on his thoughts, feeling somewhat guilty that she hadn't told him about Yamcha. Maybe she should have.

 _ **That would have been nice.**_ He grated back to her. _**Do you want me to deal with him?**_

 _ **No. It's fine. I can. If he persists, he's all yours.**_ She replied. If Vegeta decided to deal with him, she knew it would only make matters worse. She felt she should at least give him the chance. You know, introduce Vegeta to him and hope he would finally take the hint now that he knew she actually _had_ a husband. However, she decided that if he was still going to be an idiot about this, then she'd let Vegeta set him straight.

 _ **As you wish.**_ He growled, crossing his arms.

"I just really wanted to talk to you." He replied, completely ignoring the man standing next to her.

"Well, I don't want to talk to you. How many times do I have to say that to you?" Bulma sighed. "This is Vegeta. My husband and mate." She said proudly, gesturing to Vegeta, who was glaring at Yamcha.

"Oh, so this is the elusive and mysterious husband of yours you've kept mentioning. How nice that he finally decided to come and visit you. I was beginning to think he was just a figment of your imagination." Yamcha replied sarcastically, ignoring Vegeta all together.

Vegeta growled at the taller man's comment. He had thought of blasting him; however the man had next to no discernible energy level to speak of. He was a weakling and therefore not worth the effort to him, no matter how miniscule. "And you must be the unfaithful fool I have heard so much about."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Yamcha asked, taking a step towards Vegeta.

"You heard me. Or are you as deaf as you are weak?" Vegeta replied calmly, ignoring Aro, who had positioned himself between the two men and growled at Yamcha.

"I'm weak?" Yamcha asked with a laugh, sizing up the smaller man while taking a step back from the snarling dog.

"That is what I said." Vegeta said dangerously.

"Okay, guys. Enough." Bulma said irritably. "Yamcha, just go. Alright? I have nothing to say to you."

"Why am I the one who has to leave?" Yamcha objected childishly. "He just finally shows up out of the blue from god know where and that's it? You have time for him but not for me after all we've been through."

"That is different. He is my husband and you have no idea of the circumstances surrounding his absence. I have asked you repeatedly to leave me alone. I have moved on; you have moved on. Let's leave it at that." Bulma sighed. "We both have different lives now. Accept it. It was bound to happen one day anyway."

"No. You and I were meant for each other. Why else did fate bring us both here?"

"It wasn't fate! It was coincidence!" Bulma said, stomping her foot in an effort to make a point that he seemed to not be getting.

"You truly believe that?" Yamcha asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Because I sure don't."

"Yes, I do!" she shouted. "Where's Moron, or whatever her name is? Does she know you keep chasing after your old girlfriend?"

"Her name is Marron." Yamcha corrected defensively. "And she's a nice girl, but she just isn't you."

"Well, that's just too bad now, isn't it?" Bulma said harshly. "She was good enough until you realized I had made it through and now you won't leave me alone."

"That's not fair and you know it." Yamcha replied. "I missed you. She lost her boyfriend as well. We both got each other through it. And then a few months later, I found out you were alive. I want to pick up where we left off. I know I screwed up bad before. I am sorry, but I really feel like I have been given a second chance here. I mean, we both survived what happened and ended up here for a reason. Please, B."

"Yamcha, no. I told you already." Bulma sighed heavily; she really did not want to be having this conversation right now. "We were all wrong for each other anyway. I just didn't fully realize and admit it until I met Vegeta. I told you that already. Us being separated by everything, though it was under horrible circumstances was the best thing that could have happened to either of us. Yamcha, please be honest with yourself. We weren't truly happy together. Now we are both free to pursue other things and I see nothing wrong with that. Vegeta found me and that's it. I am happy. Please respect that! I don't hold it against you that you found someone else that you might otherwise would not have found."

"He left you!" Yamcha objected. "I would never leave you stranded like that. I care and appreciate you more than that."

"From the sounds of it, it sounded like you never appreciated her much before." Vegeta cut in, recalling how Bulma had told him how he had been unfaithful to her repeatedly after she refused to give herself to him.

"And what would you know about it?" Yamcha asked defensively. "You've barely known her. I have known Bulma for years. We're soul mates."

Vegeta laughed. "And being unfaithful and philandering is how you treat your soul mate? I know all about that and think it is pathetic. I may not have known her as long as you have, but I recognize a valuable person when I see one and I am not stupid enough to throw it away simply because of a need to be laid."

"Like you never fooled around on her these past months while she was here?" Yamcha snapped.

"As a matter of fact, no. I did not." Vegeta replied in a bored tone. "And I thought she was dead up until only a few days ago, which would mean that despite thinking I was free of her and well within my right to take another, the thought never entered my mind."

Yamcha snorted in disbelief. "Some husband you are. You didn't even know if your wife was alive or dead. How convenient for you. Bulma, how could you take this guy back with the knowledge that either he couldn't or didn't protect you? That he thought you were dead all these months?"

Vegeta stepped forward and grabbed the taller man by the neck, lifting him up off the ground both quickly and effortlessly, smirking evilly as he began to panic.

"Yamcha, that's not fair! Not that it is any of your business, but I am alive because of him. He has done more for me than anyone ever has."

"What the hell! Put me down!" he whined pathetically. "Bulma?"

"Leave." Bulma said. "We are over. Accept it."

Vegeta looked over at Bulma and raised an eyebrow in question. She nodded and he abruptly let go of him and smirked as the scar-faced man fell clumsily to the ground. _Pathetic._ He mused to himself.

Yamcha coughed and stood back up, shooting Vegeta a dirty look. He sure didn't look like much. The man was about as tall as Bulma, maybe a few inches taller from what he could tell. He was obviously in good physical condition, but so was he. That he picked him up so effortlessly worried him. "You're nuts, man. You both are." He spat.

"Thank you. Will you leave me alone now?" Bulma asked hopefully.

"That's your choice?" Yamcha asked dejectedly, gesturing to Vegeta bitterly. "After everything."

"It is." Bulma nodded, standing next to Vegeta and taking his hand. "I love him."

"Bulma, we were together for three years." Yamcha objected. "How can you walk away after that for someone you barely know?"

"Because he respects me." Bulma replied boldly. "He sees me for who I truly am; has never pressured me for anything. He saved me from a life of being a pleasure slave and protected and sheltered me from the worst possible danger. He didn't have to do any of that. That he chose me and has decided to stand by me has quite possibly ruined his life." She said, looking at him, holding back tears. He didn't have to choose her. He could have simply kept her around as a pleasure slave and still done his duty for his planet, but he hadn't. He had taken her as his mate without reservation, knowing that it would be to his disadvantage. He had even returned for her once he had realized she was fine. He hadn't had to do that either. He could have decided she wasn't worth all the trouble and taken a Saiyan woman like Asia as his mate. He had severed most of their bond. It would have been easy for him to replace it with someone else.

 _ **Why would I do that?**_ He asked her; almost insulted that she thought he would do such a thing.

 _ **I don't know. But you could have and I wouldn't have blamed you.**_ She replied.

He gave her a severe look and turned to leave. "You are to respect the woman's wishes," he warned Yamcha, pointing at him. "If I hear otherwise, I will blast you where you stand." Yamcha nodded and watched as Vegeta turned to leave, taking Aro with him. _**I will not be far.**_ He said to Bulma and stalked off.

"Seriously, Bulma?" he asked her quietly.

"Yes." Bulma nodded. "Now leave me alone. Alright?"

"I can't believe this, B." he said, shaking his head. "You're actually married to this guy?"

"I am."

"After knowing him for how long?"

"What does it matter, Yamcha?" Bulma asked.

"B, you denied me and turned me away for three years! And then you just give it up to some guy within a few months? Really, Bulma. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"So that's what this is about? Sex?" Bulma raged at him. "Why am I not surprised. Yamcha, everything with you is or was only about that. You cheated on me repeatedly! Why would I want to go back to that?"

"Bulma, I'm a guy. I have needs." He shrugged, as though it were a mute point she was making.

"Yes, and those needs are why we cannot ever be together. I was naïve and stupid before to put up with you. Why do you think I never wanted to sleep with you? It was because deep down I always knew you weren't the one. And time and time again you proved me right in my decision, only I was dumb enough to allow you to stay in my life because I kept hoping you would change. Now after everything that's still your main issue? That we never hooked up?"

Vegeta continued into the front yard, allowing some distance, but sticking around close enough that he could still hear their heated argument and intervene if need be, though it didn't look like Bulma needed his help. He thought with a smirk, watching her proudly as she reamed him out and the weakling just stood there and took it. Truth be told, he wanted to beat the daylights out of this guy. However, he really did not see the point. It would be much too easy. He could not believe the nerve of him. First grabbing onto her like he had some sort of claim on her and now he was pissed that she had chosen to sleep with him long before himself. What a juvenile! He contemplated going back over there and rubbing his nose in it that he had gotten her since it bugged him that much, however he did not want to exploit Bulma in that way. What they had was sacred and none of anyone's business. Why cheapen it by bragging to someone not worth the effort? Though he had to admit the look on his face would make it more than worth it alone.

He was also a little more than offended that Bulma would even think that he might not have come here for her. He would have thought by now that she knew him well enough to know that if he said he was going to do something, he would do it. Especially where she was concerned. The thought of being with another woman did not sit well with him. He would rather remain alone. He decided he would ask her about it later on. He hadn't picked up on any of those feelings of doubt last night, though much to his own shame, when he thought back on it, it was mostly her trying to comfort him. He supposed that given their circumstances and his position in life he could understand her insecurity to a degree, but hadn't he shown her exactly how he'd felt about her time and again? That he would never want or take anyone else? He decided later on tonight, he would show her. He would show her who she belonged to. He would keep her up all night without rest if he had to to chase away any feelings of doubt she may have. It bothered him.

Vegeta took a heavy sigh and opened the door to the house. The dog wanted to go inside. Chi-Chi was there starting what he assumed was supper. "Hey, where's Bulma?" she asked him.

"Arguing with that pathetic ex-mate of hers over there." Vegeta replied in an uninterested tone.

"Who?" Chi-Chi asked, frowning. "Ohh.. Yeah. Him. Well, It's her own fault." She shrugged, looking out the window at the two. It looked pretty heated.

"How so?" Vegeta asked, watching them from the door.

"Well, somehow he survived and ended up here. I saw him and told her about it and she was able to avoid him for a few weeks. She didn't even want him knowing she was here. Eventually he saw her. Apparently he has a girlfriend but is still pursuing Bulma." Chi-Chi explained. "They got into a really heated discussion a few months back about whether or not you existed and Bulma has refused to speak to him ever since and he keeps trying to talk to her at every possible opportunity. In my opinion, by ignoring him, she has only made this situation worse."

"He's a fool." Vegeta replied calmly watching them. "She has on no uncertain terms told him she is not interested and he still persists as though she has said nothing."

"And you're just going to not do anything while they argue like a bunch of children?"

"Why should I? This is her battle. Not mine. If I do step in, he is fool enough to let himself believe that it is I coming between them and not her choice." He said, not taking his eyes off them. "He is of no threat to me, however if he lays a hand on her, I will intervene."

Chi-Chi nodded. That made sense, actually. "So I take it she didn't tell you about him?"

"No." Vegeta replied. "Not that he was here. She had mentioned him before though. When we first met."

"Ahh." Chi-Chi replied. "Yeah, there's a whole lot of history there between those two."

"He was unfaithful to her?" he asked casually. Now that he had seen this guy in person, he could not believe Bulma would have stayed with him. What had she been thinking?

"Yamcha? Oh yeah. He's a player. Bulma wasn't interested in sleeping with him so he found it elsewhere."

"And she stayed with him why?"

"I don't know. He's a loser. He did nothing but hurt her." Chi-Chi explained.

Vegeta turned and glared at her.

"Not physically, no." she replied quickly. "Emotionally. He hurt her by fooling around behind her back all the time. Had he just waited and stuck it out with her, I'm sure she would have but like right early on in their relationship like a few weeks in he was pressuring her and the more he pressured her, the less interested she was so he went and got it elsewhere, hurting her in the process."

Vegeta nodded and leaned against the door frame watching amusedly as they still squabbled. He could tell Bulma was beyond pissed. He didn't think he'd ever seen her that angry.

"Like, I think she just kept hoping he would change. She would find him cheating with some girl, they'd break up and then he'd come back begging for her to take him back and promise to not do it again. they'd be fine for a few weeks and then he'd do it all over again. It was a vicious cycle."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied. "Any man who cannot be faithful to his mate is useless. If you cannot be faithful to your chosen mate, then you cannot be trusted in anything in life."

Chi-Chi nodded in agreement. She couldn't believe how calm he was over this. She would have thought he would be acting all possessive and pissed off over the fact that Yamcha was still arguing with Bulma. However, he seemed almost uninterested; though it was clear he was watching them closely.

Vegeta scowled as he watched them, he was walking closer and closer to Bulma as they argued. He watched as Bulma always took a step back. She wasn't nervous or frightened. Just thoroughly pissed off from what he could tell. It was then, Yamcha took two long steps towards her and out both hands on her shoulders and began shaking her.

"Excuse me." He growled to Chi-Chi and left the kitchen. He knew Bulma had this under control for the most part, but no one touched his mate for any reason.

Vegeta strode up to them so fast, neither one of them even saw him coming. He grabbed Yamcha's right arm off Bulma's shoulder, quickly yanking him effectively away from her; dislocating his shoulder in the process. "You do not touch my mate for any reason. Understand?"

"What the hell! You broke my shoulder! What are you, some kind of freak? We were just talking!"

"I am Prince Vegeta, prince of the strongest warrior race in the universe." Vegeta said proudly, walking towards him as he retreated. "I expect you to not so much as even look in her direction again or your next injury shall either be permanent or fatal depending how my mood strikes me in that particular moment. Be fortunate I am feeling rather charitable today."

"Whatever, man!" Yamcha said, holding his shoulder painfully and walking away as quickly as he could from them. "You both deserve each other."

"Thanks." Bulma mumbled, following Vegeta back to the house. She was more than glad that was over, though she had been hoping it really wouldn't come to that. Hopefully he got the message now.

"Really, what were you guys fighting about for that long?" Chi-Chi asked, standing at the door. She had seen the whole thing.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "I don't want to get into it. He's mad that I never slept with him in three years but that I married Vegeta within a few months. He's an idiot! And now for whatever reason, he thinks I am trapped in this relationship I can't get out of. He can't take no for an answer! Whatever I say, he spins it and twists it into something I didn't say."

"I heard." Vegeta replied dryly.

"Well, why'd you leave? You just ditched me with him."

"Your incessant bickering was hurting my ears. He's a weakling. Nothing I am sure you could not handle had you been thinking." He said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bulma asked defensively.

"I showed you before how to get out of a threatening hold like the one he had on you and you did nothing." He replied. "You just stood there and let him shake you."

"Yeah, why was he shaking you, Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked. She hadn't liked that either.

"I don't know. He was mad. I think he was just trying to get me to see his point. You know, shake some sense into me? I don't think he meant it to hurt me like you guys are making it out to be. He didn't hurt me. I'm fine."

"And if he had decided to slap some sense into you, then what?" Vegeta huffed.

"He wouldn't do that." Bulma said, waving her hand dismissively.

Vegeta shook his head at her care-free attitude. "I meant what I said to him. I will harm him if he comes anywhere near you."

"I know, Vegeta."

"Do you?" he asked her, giving her an intense look.

"Yeah. I do. I don't think it'll come to that. You scared him pretty good."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied. "Where is Kakarott? I must train."

"He's outside somewhere." Chi-Chi replied with a shrug.

"I will find him." Vegeta said. "Let me know when dinner is ready, Woman. I will be back then." He said leaving the house and taking off in the sky in search for his First Lieutenant.

Bulma frowned at his departure. Something was wrong. _**Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?**_

_**I am fine.** _

_**No, you're upset. If it's about Yamcha, don't be. He's not worth the effort.** _

_**No. I am not upset about the weakling.** _

_**Well then what? Are you mad at me?**_ She asked, trying to figure out why he seemed so upset.

_**Just leave it. I need to clear my head. We will discuss it later.** _

_**Why are you mad though?** _

_**Later, Woman!**_ He growled irritably and put up a wall.

Bulma sighed. _Great. Now he's pissed off and I have no idea why._ She grumbled to herself.

"What's wrong?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Vegeta's mad."

"What now?"

"I don't know. He's been kind of off all day but now he's mad and just blocked me out again. He said we'd talk about it later." Bulma said, coming into the kitchen to help her friend prepare a feast fit for two Saiyans who would most likely be more than famished if they were training.

"Well, you should have given him a heads up about Yamcha. I mean really."

"Oh, like Yamcha has even crossed my mind these past twelve hours Vegeta showed up." Bulma replied, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure he didn't, but look at it from Vegeta's point of view. I'm sure it pissed him off seeing your ex beg for you back."

"No, I don't think it was that. I'm surprised he didn't gloat over it in front of him to be honest." Bulma said, shaking her head. "Maybe it was something I said when I was fighting with Yamcha. Whatever. I'm not going to worry about it. Was he mad when he came in here?"

"No." Chi-Chi said, shaking her head. "He was actually really calm. He was keeping tabs on you though. He was watching and listening very closely. He said he would only intervene of Yamcha touched you, which he did. But other than that, no."

"Hmmm. Weird." Bulma sighed.

"He actually spoke to me, which was nice." Chi-Chi said.

"Oh yeah? What about?"

"You and Yamcha. It was very brief. I asked him why he wasn't doing anything about it and he said because if he stepped in, he would more than likely delude himself into thinking it was him keeping you apart and not because you want nothing to do with him by your own decision."

"Ha! He's right!" Bulma chuckled. "When Vegeta left, he even asked me if the reason I wouldn't give him a chance was because he showed up again. He even suggested we both take a ship and get out of here where no one would be able to find us. What an idiot! Like he would even know where to go or would last even a week in space."

Chi-Chi giggled. "Under different circumstances, it's kind of sweet. What happened to his girlfriend?"

"He's still seeing her but says she's a nice girl but just isn't me."

"Didn't he say that to you once before when he'd cheated on you?"

"Maybe. Who knows. It was always a different excuse and story." Bulma shrugged. "I lost track."

"Even Vegeta said that anyone who can't remain faithful to, awe. How did he put it?" Chi-Chi said, looking at the floor. "It was so simple and to the point but perfect the way he put it. Oh! "Any man who cannot be faithful to his mate is useless. If you cannot be faithful to your chosen mate, then you cannot be trusted in anything in life." Something like that. It was basic and goes without saying but coming from him, it just sounded strange."

"I told you, Chi. Give him a chance. He'll warm up. When I first met him he was a real ass for like the first half hour. He still can be an ass, like right now. But he's really not. He's just really blunt and to the point."

"I guess it's not a bad thing. It would help if he didn't look so angry all the time."

Bulma giggled. "I think it only adds to his appeal. I love it."

"He is handsome. I'll give you that." Chi-Chi nodded.

"He's perfect. Just watch, a few days here and he'll be fine. He's definitely not the conversationalist, but you'll see. He really is a good guy. Just give him a chance."

The two women chattered on happily and continued to make dinner. Within a few hours, everything was ready and as if on cue, two hungry Saiyan men walked in through the door. They both looked as though they'd been through a war, yet were both content.

"Smells good, Chi-Chi!" Kakarott commented.

"Oh my god! What happened to you guys?"

"Nothing. We were training." Kakarott shrugged in confusion.

"Training? You both look like you guys tried to kill each other!"

"Oh no, this is nothing. We were both holding back." Kakarott said, waving a hand dismissively.

"I was holding back, yes." Vegeta replied arrogantly. "There is no way you could have held up for even a moment at my full strength. I wouldn't want to cause you too much harm. Then who would I train with?"

"I don't know, Vegeta. I've improved quite a bit since we've last sparred." Kakarott said easily. "I still really want to see you in your ascended state."

"Oh you will, Kakarott." Vegeta nodded haughtily. "I just did not want to mop the floor off with you on our first session."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Here we go…" Though hearing them bicker again over who was stronger and who was and wasn't holding back made her smile. It felt like old times again.

"Are they always like this?" Chi-Chi whispered, glaring at the two men.

"Yup." Bulma nodded.

"Well, go change and shower. You guys stink." Chi-Chi said, ushering Kakarott up the stairs.

"Awe, Chi-Chi. I'm really hungry. Can it wait? I really worked up an appetite."

"No! Shower then food!"

"Alright, fine." Kakarott sighed, and ran up the stairs, following Vegeta.

Chi-Chi shook her head. "I can't believe them! They beat each other to a pulp and act as though it's no big deal."

"Get used to it. That's what they do." Bulma said, grabbing a bowl of food and placing it on the table. "They train hard and push themselves to the limit."

"They trained to the point of injury by the looks of it!"

"Yeah. To the limit. And that was nothing. Expect lacerations and broken bones." Bulma said knowingly. "When I was at the palace with Vegeta, he would come back some days bragging about how he beat someone so bad they had to go into the regeneration tank for a few days, only to do it again when that guy was better."

"Why?" Chi-Chi asked horrified.

"I don't understand it either, but apparently the bigger beating they take, the stronger they become once they recover." Bulma explained. "By the way, serve yourself first. With two of them after a work out, who knows what will be left for us."

Chi-Chi nodded and began to help herself. "They're nuts!"

"They are, but you have to admire their dedication. They won't back down from anything. Even if they think they'll lose. Vegeta went after Zarbon when he tried to violate me. He had told me repeatedly he could not beat him. Yet it didn't stop him from at least trying to help me and in the end, he killed him without breaking a sweat." Bulma explained. "Or even when we were leaving. Vegeta showed me last night what happened after Frieza blew up the ship and he thought Kakarott and I had been killed. He still tried to take on Frieza with the knowledge that he most likely wouldn't be able to beat him. He was right and was beaten horribly. Yet when he was fully healed, he was faster and stronger so he's alright with it. Get used to it. They'll both be coming home beaten to a pulp almost every day."

"That's horrible." Chi-Chi commented. "I don't agree with it."

"But for some reason, it advances them." Bulma said. "As horrible as it looks and sounds, they're really helping each other. Just leave them be. It's all they know. They won't kill each other."

"Woman! I need clothing!" they heard Vegeta boom from upstairs.

Bulma rolled her eyes and sighed. God forbid he'd have to go through the bag of clothes upstairs and find something himself. She trudged up the stairs and into their room. She rifled through everything she had gotten that day at the market. She pulled out a comfortable pair of black pants and chuckled to herself when she found the pink shirt she had picked out when he hadn't been looking. _This'll teach him to not fend for himself._ She thought wickedly.

She knocked on the bathroom door before opening it. "Here. Your clothes are on the counter." She said and then closed the door before getting a response back from him.

Bulma ran back down the stairs and took her seat.

"What's so funny?" Kakarott asked, already seated and dishing himself up a healthy plate of food.

"Oh nothing." Bulma said, waving her hand. "His Royal highness is about to have a conniption is all."

"What did you do?"

"You'll see." Bulma shrugged, stuffing a mouthful of food into her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

"What the hell is this?" they heard him yell from upstairs.

"It's clothing, Vegeta. Just put it on." Bulma shouted back.

"I cannot wear this! This is a woman's garment!"

"It is not! Now put it on and get down here before Kakarott eats everything!"

"It's pink, Woman!" he bellowed, completely outraged. "I am a warrior! Not a variety of flower!"

Bulma nearly choked on what she was eating. "And what a very pretty warrior flower you'll make. Next time, choose your own clothes!"

They heard him growl angrily. "You're lucky I am hungry, Woman!" he said, entering the room angrily, looking very handsome in the pair of black pants and fitted powder pink button up shirt. He had left the top few buttons undone, giving a nice view of his sculptured chest. The fact that the shirt was pink did not take away from his masculine aura at all.

Kakarott laughed. "You look good, your Highness."

"Shut up." Vegeta growled, taking a seat next to Bulma, shooting her the deadliest of looks.

"I think it looks very good on you." Bulma said, having gotten herself under control before he made it down the stairs. "Did you see the back of it?"

"No." he grunted, refusing to look in her direction.

"It says "Bad Man" on the back." She said.

"Lovely." Vegeta replied, loading up his dish.

The four companions began to eat the delicious feast Chi-Chi had prepared. Vegeta eventually forgot all about his pink shirt and much to Bulma's delight eventually relaxed a bit once he had eaten his fill and actually contributed to the conversation every once in a while.

Bulma got up to grab desert and placed a bottle of wine on the table.

Chi-chi rolled her eyes. "Ugh! I want a glass so bad." she whined.

"I'm sorry! I forgot!" Bulma replied, looking up at her friend. How could she have forgotten such a thing!

"No no. It's fine. Don't abstain on my account." Chi-Chi said. "Better yet, have a glass for me."

"Alright!" Bulma laughed.

The four dug into the immaculate dessert Chi-Chi had made. It was like a giant pie made from an assortment of berries and had a creamy center mixed with the berries.

"Well done, Woman. You shall have a position as head chef in the palace once we return." Vegeta said, finishing a second helping.

Chi-Chi frowned at him, unsure if that was a compliment or not. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Vegeta's very fussy, so I'd say it's a good thing." Kakarott said.

"I am not fussy." Vegeta replied.

"Yeah you are. Like I know you'll eat anything. But I have very rarely heard you comment on actually liking something." Kakarott said.

"Hmmn." He grumbled.

"So what will happen once we return, Vegeta?" Kakarott asked. "What are we going to do? I need to find a place for Chi-Chi and I. Someplace where we can raise our son."

Vegeta sat there in silence a moment, contemplating the situation. "I will be appointing you as Elite once I take the throne. You and your mate will have a place at the palace if you so wish. She and your child will be safe there."

"Really, Vegeta? Wow! Thanks!" Kakarott said proudly.

"It has been my intent long before any of this." Vegeta replied awkwardly. "You are a valuable ally and trusted companion and advisor. I am in your debt for keeping Bulma safe."

"Thanks Vegeta! I'm honored!"

"As you should be. No clown has ever achieved so much." He smirked.

"I won't disappoint you!" Kakarott said, saluting his Prince.

"Hmmn." Vegeta nodded, having nothing further to say on the matter. He had lowered himself enough for one evening first by wearing a pink shirt and now thanking his fellow Saiyan in front of the women. He had meant to have this conversation in private, however the moment felt right. Truth be told, he was extremely grateful for Kakarott. He had saved his mate from certain death and had kept her safe for him all these months. He really did appreciate the younger Saiyan.

"Thank you, Vegeta." Chi-Chi said. Maybe the cranky Prince wasn't so bad after all. He had offered her a job and given her husband a significant promotion from the sounds of it. "I haven't discussed this with Kakarott, yet. I don't even know if you guys believe in this sort of thing in your culture. I wanted to do this whether or not we stay here or go back to your planet."

"What is it, Chi?" Bulma asked.

"I wanted to know if you both would be god parents to our baby?" She asked unsure. She knew Bulma would have no problem with it. She didn't know Vegeta all that well, but she knew that he and Kakarott were extremely close and hoped he wouldn't have issue with it.

"Of course!" Bulma said happily. "We'd love to!"

"What did "we" just agree to, Woman?" Vegeta asked with a scowl.

"On our planet, it wasn't uncommon for parents to appoint another couple or two other people as god mother and god father to their children. Just someone else to look out for them. In some cases, if anything happened to the parents, these two would assume the role."

Vegeta thought on it for a moment. He understood the responsibility and meaningful gesture; though he wasn't sure he wanted the responsibility of raising someone else's child. On the other hand, he wasn't sure declining was an option. "Very well. Should anything happen to your third class ass, I will make it my responsibility to train the boy and have him placed in a respectable position in the army. If I can manage it, he will be kept close and should Bulma or myself ever produce an heir, he will be the child's constant companion. Much like you were to me."

"What? I don't want my baby in the military." Chi-Chi objected. "Can't you put him through school so he can work in a lab like Bulma or maybe he could be a physician?"

Vegeta looked at Chi-Chi with a blank expression and then scowled at Kakarott. "Have you not informed her of anything?" he asked her.

"Informed me of what?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Well, no. I didn't think we would actually make it back to Vegeta-sei. And I have no problem with having a child with Chi-Chi. I'm thrilled, actually."

"What are you guys talking about?" Chi-Chi demanded irritably.

"Shall I tell her or should you?" Vegeta asked, really hoping Kakarott would break the news to her.

"No, I'll tell her." Kakarott sighed. "Chi-Chi, on my planet, it is not illegal for Saiyans to mate with non-Saiyans. However any children they have don't have any rank in society. They are usually slaves. They never hope to possess any titles or much of anything."

"What?!" Chi-Chi shrieked. "Why wouldn't you tell me this?"

"Because if we stay here, it doesn't matter. I don't care that our child won't be full-Saiyan and there isn't much for class distinctions here anyway. No one else would care either." Kakarott said, feeling bad that he hadn't even thought to mention it to her before. "I know it sounds bad, but what Vegeta has proposed is unheard of and I am touched that he would do such a thing for us."

"You're touched that he wants to put our child in the military. He could be killed!"

"He'll be half Saiyan. He'll be strong." Kakarott said.

"What if I don't want him in the military though?"

Kakarott and Vegeta shrugged. "There's not much else for half-breeds." Vegeta replied. "I do not make the rules. I can only change them when I take my place, however thousands of years of thinking from my people will take generations to change."

"Well what about your half-breed if you and Bulma have a child? Then will it matter?" Chi-Chi asked.

"I have told Bulma that if and when the time comes and she does come with child, I will proudly appoint that child as my heir and successor without reservation. I will not produce one with anyone else. If the people do not accept him, they do not accept me. That does not mean it will be easy. There will be those out there who will seek to assassinate him."

Chi-Chi gasped.

"As I said, I can change the laws, however I cannot change thousands of years of thinking over night. It is one reason I do not wish for Bulma to become pregnant. That and it is too dangerous. I would rather die without an heir to the throne than either lose her in the birthing process or have that child assassinated because of a few close-minded purist fools." Vegeta grated. He did not want to think about the possibilities. "I will ensure your child has a decent station in life. You have my word, Woman."

"Decent by your definition apparently."

"Kakarott. What would you have me do? I have just promised something no other half-breed has been able to achieve. Yet she insults me."

Kakarott sighed. "I appreciate it more than you know, Vegeta. Really. I am willing to accept this whole heartedly, but let's wait. He hasn't even been born yet and we don't know when we will be able to go back to Vegeta-sei." The younger said replied diplomatically, so not to offend his Prince. Truth be told, he was over the moon that Vegeta would offer to do this for him. It was completely unheard of.

Chi-Chi glared at Kakarott. "Well, if that's his only option in life is to be a soldier, then we'll stay here." she said with finality.

"Chi, I just accepted a royal appointment. I cannot walk away from that." Kakarott said. "Please, let it go for now. We have plenty of time to work this out. Alright?"

"Fine." She said angrily.

"It'll be alright, Chi." Bulma said to her friend.

"Easy for you to say." Chi-Chi snapped back. "You're married to the prince of an entire race. Of course you're child will have it easy."

"Chi, I know you're upset, but did you not just hear what he said? Our child would be in danger. Yours at least won't be. And correct me if I'm wrong, Vegeta but if he would be placed as a companion to our child, wouldn't that be an excellent station in life?"

Vegeta nodded. "He would be under the same protection as any child of ours. Yes. It was Kakarott's station in life since he was a boy. It seems to have been good enough for him and look how far he has come. I realize you know nothing about our culture, but no third class Saiyan has ever had the opportunity Kakarott has. His own brother was appointed an Elite, but is still nothing more than a foot soldier. It is Kakarott who has had the higher rank as my First Lieutenant.

"Furthermore, I will not be sending any children away as slaves anywhere. So as it is, his life will be much better. I was sent away to live and learn under a vicious tyrant when I was a boy. As my companion, Kakarott was sent as well by default. This will never happen again to anyone's child once I take my place."

Chi-Chi nodded. Still upset, but understood what it was Vegeta was trying to offer them. She decided to let the matter drop for now and think about it. Find out more, plus she did not want to offend him. He didn't even know her and still offered them this.

Before anything else was said, there was a knock at the door.

Kakarott went to open it, surprised to see a tall, green man on the other side. "Hey, Piccolo! What brings you here?"

"I have business with your new house guest that must be discussed." He replied sternly, looking at Vegeta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh ohh…. What's Piccolo doing there? Why would he want to talk to Vegeta? Stay tuned!
> 
> Please review! Pretty please! ;)


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER** **23**_

_**Previously…** _

There was a knock at the door.

Kakarott went to open it, surprised to see a tall, green man on the other side. "Hey, Piccolo! What brings you here?"

"I have business with your new house guest that must be discussed." He replied sternly, looking at Vegeta.

"Sure. Come on in!" Kakarott said, letting the tall green man in. "We were just finishing up dinner, why don't you join us?"

"Thank you, but unfortunately this is not a social call." Piccolo said, stepping into the small home.

"What is your business with me, Namek?" Vegeta asked, getting up and meeting him half way in the kitchen with his arms crossed.

"Prince Vegeta, I presume?"

"I know my name, thank you. Now tell me who you are and what business you think you have with me?" Vegeta asked in his typical arrogant fashion.

"I received a report that you landed here last night and refused to check in. Fortunately you did mention you had business with both Kakarott and Bulma, whom I know well and hold both in very high esteem. I let the matter drop." Piccolo said. "I then received a complaint regarding an altercation between yourself and another one of our planet's inhabitants, Yamcha a few hours ago."

Vegeta laughed. "That was no altercation. The low born scum had the audacity to put his hands on my mate after she repeatedly asked him to leave. What happened was a mere warning to him. Should he come near her in a way that makes her feel uncomfortable or in a manner that happens to displease me, then we will have an altercation on our hands."

"Was that the way of it?" Piccolo asked, looking at Bulma.

"Pretty much." Bulma nodded. "Yamcha and I were romantically involved back before our planet was destroyed. We didn't know the other had survived and now we both happened to make it here. In the time that we weren't together, I moved on and met Vegeta. He has taken me as his mate. Due to circumstances that I have vaguely mentioned to you before, he was unable to accompany me here. I have informed Yamcha of this and he refuses to accept it. He has another girl he met as well and is involved with, yet still continues to push the issue."

"He has no prior claim to you?" Piccolo asked.

"No. We were never married or mated or engaged even. Vegeta only arrived yesterday. I took him out to the market to get him some new clothes and show him around. On our way back, Yamcha came up to us. I introduced him to Vegeta and he dismissed him as though he were nothing. Vegeta left to give us our space to finish our conversation, especially since it became heated on both our sides. Vegeta did nothing until he began shaking me. And he didn't even really do that much. He just yanked him away and dislocated his shoulder a bit. Even before he left us to sort out our differences, he told him to respect my wishes or he would deal with him. He had plenty of warning, Piccolo."

"All the same. This is a planet of peace. No violence of any kind is tolerated." Piccolo replied. "I am well aware of you and your reputation, Vegeta and I am not happy you have come here whatever your reasons may be. See this as your warning."

"Awe come on, Piccolo." Kakarott said. "Vegeta can't help what he's done any more than I could and you gave me a chance despite being leery of Saiyans."

"True, however you do not have the same reputation as the notorious Prince Vegeta." Piccolo nodded. "How many planets have you laid to waste?"

"I helped." Kakarott cut in before Vegeta could answer.

"You've been here." Piccolo said. "I am referring to the last several months. You are currently employed under Frieza's service, correct?" he asked, looking at Vegeta.

"That is correct." Vegeta nodded, not liking the direction this was going. "What are you trying to say, Namek? Spit it out."

"As guardian of this planet, I have gone through great lengths to remain undetected by the lizard tyrant himself." Piccolo said. "I am worried about what your arrival may do to the peacefulness and prosperity of this planet should Lord Frieza find you here."

"He does not know I am here." Vegeta replied. "I left my ship and scouter and any means he had of tracking me. It will be days, maybe weeks before he even notices I am missing. I have never heard of this puny place. Chances are either neither has he or it's not worth his time; in which case, he will not think to look for me here. I am here only for my mate. I will be leaving once I am strong enough to destroy Frieza with my bare hands. After that, I will be returning to my own planet to take my rightful place on my father's throne. My residence here is merely temporary."

"Understood, though you must understand my concern. I have kept many undesirable races and individuals such as you from entering this planet. If it weren't for Kakarott and your mate Bulma, I would be escorting you off here. Bulma has done much to help advance society here through means of her technological genius. I am eternally grateful for both her mind and willingness to help."

"Thank you, Piccolo." Bulma said "I understand your concern, but Vegeta's not here to cause trouble."

"I can speak for myself!" Vegeta said agitatedly, annoyed that both Kakarott and Bulma kept speaking up in his defence before he could say anything. He didn't need them to defend him or his actions. "As long as you tell that weakling to leave her alone and quit pestering her, there will be no further need for any future altercations. I have no issue with you or any of this planet's inhabitants and will leave as soon as possible. I fail to see the issue."

Piccolo nodded, though he had a nagging feeling in his gut that allowing him to stay was not in the best interest of this planet. "Very well. I will trust you."

Vegeta nodded in acceptance and said no more.

"I will be leaving. But have no doubt, I will be keeping my eye on you." Piccolo said. "Should I hear anything else or I catch wind that Frieza or any of his men decide to make a detour here in search for you, you will be made to leave immediately."

"That will not be happening." Vegeta said, boredly. "By the way, you may want to beef up your security. Obviously just anyone can land here. That weak old man is not going to be able to handle himself should Lord Frieza or any of his men decide to come here. They would think nothing of blasting him."

"Dually noted." Piccolo replied and left.

The foursome stood there in silence a few moments before returning to their seats. "Was it that bad, Vegeta?" Kakarott asked.

Vegeta nodded.

"What happened?"

"I do not wish to speak of it, Kakarott!" he growled. "Not to you or to anyone. It is bad enough that nosy Namek has caught wind of it." He headed outside, sighing in irritation as Aro got up and followed him. What was with this dog; following him everywhere? It annoyed him. He just wanted to be left alone. Was that so much to ask? At least he didn't have to talk to the dog, he thought to himself.

Kakarott nodded as he watched Vegeta leave and slam the door behind him. He wished Vegeta would at least tell him something. If anyone would understand what he had endured, it would be him. Maybe he just needed some time.

"Is he alright?" Chi-chi asked.

"Yeah. He just needs some space." Bulma said, watching him out the window as he stalked off to the end of the yard. "I understand Piccolo's concern, but he could have handled that a bit better."

"Yeah." Chi-Chi nodded. "He didn't even want to hear his side."

"Well, Piccolo has a huge responsibility being that he's the guardian of this planet. If anything does happen because of Vegeta's presence here, it's on his head." Kakarott said. "The Nameks are a peaceful race as it is. Vegeta is one of the universes most dangerous and notorious warriors. He has every right to be concerned. Especially since Lord Frieza will be looking for him eventually."

Bulma and Chi-Chi nodded. "What should we do then? I don't want to put this place in danger, but if Vegeta leaves, I am leaving with him." Bulma said.

Kakarott shrugged. "I think Vegeta and I should really buckle down and start some serious training. Then we can leave here before anything does happen."

Bulma nodded, though didn't like the idea of either one of them leaving to fight Lord Frieza.

"Well it's getting late and I am tired." Chi-Chi said, getting up. "I'm going to clean up and go to bed early. You three can stay up and do whatever you like."

"I'll help." Bulma said and began helping her friend clear off the table. "You going to go talk to him?"

"No." Kakarott said, shaking his head. "I'm going to just leave him be. I'll see how he is tomorrow when we train. He'll be fine, Bulma. He just needs his space."

Bulma nodded in agreement and helped her friend start the dishes.

-0-0-0-

Bulma headed outside after helping Chi-Chi clean up in the kitchen. It was almost dark out and she could see Vegeta standing at the end of the yard, leaning against the fence looking up in the sky. Aro was sitting next to him, scanning the road for any potential threats. In case there happened to be any.

"Hey." She greeted, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek on his back. "You alright?"

"Hmmn."

"You want to go for a walk?" she asked. "It's a beautiful night."

"Not particularly." He replied, glancing at her over his shoulder. In truth, a small part of him just wanted to be left alone, but admittedly found her presence comforting. "I can do better than that, Woman. Come with me. I wish to show you something." He said turning around, scooping her up in his arms and taking off into the warm night sky.

Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and glanced down at the retreating ground below them. He was moving so fast! Her mind told her she should be scared out of her wits but she wasn't. She knew he would never let her fall. Bulma rest her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the feeling of flying with him.

Vegeta wasn't sure where he was going. He had spotted a clearing earlier today when he had been looking for Kakarott. He was sure it was around here somewhere. After a few minutes of flying around aimlessly, he decided on a high plateau, overlooking everything. He landed gracefully and set her down carefully.

"That was fun." Bulma said, looking around, admiring the scenery that lay before them. "Wow." She murmured. It was almost completely dark now and it was silent below them. Most people were most likely asleep. There were a few lamps shining, but they were few and far between. She looked up in the sky and marvelled at all the stars. They were endless. She hadn't really taken the time to look at them all these months she'd been here. She had been in such a deep depression; she was usually in bed not long after dinner. The view of the stars reminded her of her last night on Vegeta-sei she and Vegeta had spent together.

She took his hand and walked to the edge of the plateau and sat down, allowing her legs to dangle off the edge delicately. Vegeta sat down next to her silently, still holding her hand. The two of them sat silently for some time, enjoying the calm silence, darkness and each other's company.

Bulma looked over at him and noticed he was looking up in the sky intensely again as though he were looking for something. "Can you see Vegeta-sei?" she asked.

"Hmmn." He nodded. "It's right there, in that cluster of stars," he said, pointing to a large cluster of stars all placed closely together. She wondered how he could possibly know for sure which one was his. "The third star up from the center. If you look, not only is it one of the largest but if you look closely, it has a slight red tinge to it." He explained.

"I see it." Bulma nodded. "And all the planets surrounding it?"

"All a part of the Saiyan empire." He replied.

"That's a pretty big empire to manage from the look of it." Bulma said, trying to count them.

He smirked. "It is."

"Are there Saiyans all over those planets as well?"

"Yes." He replied. "My father has military bases strategically placed throughout. Some planets have nothing but infantry. There is another one; you have heard about that we have hidden weapons and explosives."

"And Frieza doesn't know?"

Vegeta shook his head. "Not about the weapons. He knows about the military stations. Each one is strategically placed to protect the minor planets around them should any of them ever be attacked for any reason. They are also conveniently placed so that travel time from them back to Vegeta-sei is no more than a day's travel at maximum should we ever have the need for additional military troops for any reason."

"That's smart." Bulma nodded, impressed at the foresight.

"There is a reason we are among the strongest empires in the galaxy." He said proudly. "Once the Ice-jin are defeated there will be no one else. We will stand alone."

"And then what?" Bulma asked.

"I do not know." He shrugged. "It has been something I have wanted my whole life and now that it is close, I haven't decided what we will do with our few found freedom. We are not the only ones held into slavery by them. The Ice-jin control most of the galaxy."

"It sounds like many planets will be grateful then." She said.

He nodded. He didn't have much desire to rule the entire galaxy with an iron fist the way Frieza did. The thought of ruling the galaxy did appeal to him. He would do it his way. He would see to it that he was the best emperor the galaxy had ever seen. Not only the strongest, but the smartest as well. He would be respected. Not feared.

_**I'm sure you will be.**_ Bulma said to him, looking proudly at him. _**And if you aren't, you'll be getting an earful from me!**_

_**Hmmn. With a queen like you by my side, how could I possibly fail?** _

_**That's right. I'll keep you in line.**_ She teased. _**What if I'm not accepted though, Vegeta? You said so yourself that there will be those who would think nothing of assassinating any heir we may produce. What if they feel the same way about me? You've mentioned the elder's council. Asia's own father sits on that council. What if-**_

_**What if nothing, Woman.**_ He interrupted her. _**I will see to it that you are kept safe at all times when I am unable to be with you. Never mind the elders. I will deal with them. I will happily remove those that dispute my choice in queen.**_

_**Won't that make it worse? Like what if they arrange a coup?** _

Vegeta chuckled darkly. _**Who will stand up to me, Woman? No one. I will be untouchable. So long as no one disputes my choices where you are concerned, everything will be fine.**_

Bulma smiled at his sureness. She still didn't believe it would be that simple, but decided to let it go. Worry about it when it became that time and enjoy this rare moment with him. He seemed to be in a better mood; less guarded at the moment. He hadn't been this open and relaxed with her since even before they had been separated. He had been so stressed out with Frieza's visit before everything came crashing down around them that she had almost forgotten how easy it was being with him and she was grateful for it. She had feared that after everything he would never allow himself to fully relax around her again, for fear of the weakness he despised taking a stronger hold on him. He got up, still holding her hand and bringing her with him to the middle of the plateau top.

"I brought you up here to show you." He said quietly.

"Oh, you had something else you wanted to show me?" she asked, confused and at the same time giddy with excitement. She had thought he had brought her up here to show her the planets. That had been fascinating. He had never shared anything like that with her before or even explained much about how the empire was run. She had assumed it simply consisted of his planet alone.

"Hmmn." He nodded, letting her hand go and taking a few steps back from her. He took off his pink shirt and handed it to her. "Brace yourself." He warned and before she had a chance to ask what for, he changed right in front of her. Not only a moment ago, were they surrounded completely by darkness. Now a bright golden aura enveloped his entire being, lighting up the plateau almost as if it were daylight.

Bulma shielded her eyes and gasped in awe at the sight of him. He looked completely different, yet it was unmistakably him. He almost looked like a god. She bit her lower lip as she took in his full detail once her eyes had adjusted to the sudden brightness. "Can I?" she asked, taking a cautious step towards him.

He nodded and reached for her, pulling her close. The heat emanating off of him was incredible, but not uncomfortably so. She shyly reached up and touched his now golden hair. It looked different, yet still maintained its gravity-defying style and surprisingly soft texture. Her hands travelled down and caressed the sides of his face and she looked into those piercing teal eyes of his. She had thought his dark onyx eyes were a mystery, now looking in the depths of endless teal, almost piercing her soul she knew she would never truly figure him out.

She continued to run her hands down the soft skin of his neck, shoulders and let them rest on his chest. His neck was thicker, his shoulders and chest broader; His arms more defined and muscular. She wondered how that was even possible. Everything about his transformation screamed power, strength and control as he simply stood there before her.

"You're beautiful." She murmured. "You're more than that. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe. You're.."

He silenced her, pressing his lips to hers, kissing her carefully, aware that he had to be even more careful with her while in this state. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back and swore she felt the golden aura surrounding him envelop her whole being when she made full contact with him. It was a warm feeling with a slight electrical current vibrating through her. She wondered how he could stand it, what it must have taken to sustain it the way he was. It made her feel safe and unbreakable. She wondered if that was how he felt.

_**Something like that.**_ He replied.

She broke the kiss and looked at him again in wonder; she was so proud of him. He really had ascended. This was what she had seen that night, though it had only lasted a few seconds. She swallowed the lump forming in the back of her throat. Here he was. Her man. He had brought her up here to show her he had accomplished his goal. She had never had any doubt that he would attain it. Even that first night they had met. She had barely known him for more than a few hours, but the passionate and determined way he spoke about meeting this goal and what it meant to him told her that he would do it. She felt almost unworthy to be standing up here with him. Here he was ascended and had acquired power and strength beyond her caliper of understanding and he wanted her. It didn't make sense to her. She was weak and frail by comparison; especially now. And he still wanted her. It didn't make sense to her.

"That is why I was upset with you earlier." He said, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Why?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"You seem to doubt my affections." He said.

Bulma looked down, embarrassed he had caught her train of thought just now and obviously earlier. "I don't doubt your affections, no. I just. I don't understand why you would want me after all the trouble you've endured because of me. Your life would be so much easier without me. Not only that, but you could find someone more equal to you in strength who would be able to give you an heir that everyone would accept. Vegeta, it doesn't make sense-"

He caught her chin with his hand and brought it up, forcing her to look at him. "There is no one else that I see as my equal, but you."

"But I am frail and weak, Vegeta." She objected. "I know you have to be careful in my presence, that you could hurt me without a second thought."

"Have I ever hurt you?" he asked.

"No. Never."

"Then let me worry about that." He said, annoyance flashing through the depths of his teal eyes. "I have told you time and again that I will have no one else but you. It disturbs me that you allow yourself to entertain thoughts that I may not have come back here for you or would have simply taken someone else whom you and everyone else would deem an "appropriate" choice for me. Believe me; I am very well aware of my choices. I have made them without reservation or doubt."

"I know that, but you throw so much away. I feel selfish having you here with me. Selfish for being overjoyed that you would choose me over everything else. I can't tell you how many times when we were on Vegeta-sei how many nights you came back and I expected you to tell me you had come to your senses where being with me was concerned. I would have been hurt, but I would have understood it and not held it against you."

"You did not think I had meant everything I had said to you then?"

"No. I knew you meant it. But that didn't mean that it would be practical or even good for you to go through with it. Every night you came back and I half expected you to tell me it wouldn't work out because of your duty to your father and your planet. And every night I felt relieved and overjoyed that you never did do that, even though I knew it was selfish on my part to still want you or even expect you to hold up your promise."

"Do not feel selfish for my decisions." He said. "They are mine. Do not second guess me and my decisions."

"Alright." She nodded, feeling bad. She knew he was right. It was his choice just as much as it had been her choice, though how could she have walked away from him? She had known the first night she had met him that he had been the one for her. She had all but given up hope in ever finding any sort of happiness after her planet had been destroyed and that had been turned upside down after their first meeting.

"You think I turned your life upside down?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "I had no interest or intention of ever taking a mate. Ever. Even with my father pushing Asia at me. I do not know how, but you got under my skin that night and I had to return for you. Even if it weren't for your knowledge of how to make capsules or for your brilliant mind; I would have found a reason to return to that planet and take you with me."

She smiled at him. "Never mind all the other complications on top of that."

"Hmmn." He replied.

Bulma leaned in and kissed him again, letting go of her insecurities and doubts where his decision regarding her were concerned. She knew that he always did what he wanted, damn everyone else and their opinion.

"Exactly." He mumbled against her mouth, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her tightly against him. "My father and everyone else will accept and yield or die."

"I don't want it to come to that though." She said. "I don't want you killing for me simply because they don't agree with you. It's not right."

"Then what is right?" he asked looking intensely at her. "If I am to be king, they need to trust my instincts and choices. If they cannot then what is the point in having the around?"

"I agree, but why not dismiss them of their duties and appoint new ones?"

"Dismiss them so that they may spread rumors and turn the people against you and myself? I assure you, that is what will happen." He said.

"Well, at least give them a chance. Don't just off everyone who has an opinion against yours. That would make you a tyrant."

He shook his head. He knew she was right, but he knew his way was most practical. It was the way it had always been done. However this only confirmed to him even further why he needed her. She gave him another perspective to look at and consider. He had decided long ago that when he was King, he would make changes to his empire. It had been run the same way for thousands of years. He never understood why no one ever had wanted to change things. When it was his turn, he would. He wanted the Saiyan race and empire to thrive, be the strongest; however he wanted them to be respected rather than feared. He did not want the rest of the universe cowering at his feet the way they did for the Ice-jin. In any case, he knew he would have his work cut out for him. As it was they were feared in most of the quadrants of the galaxy. It would not be easy, but he was determined to do it and had the confidence that he not only could and would but that he had chosen right in his choice of mate and future queen.

"We shall worry about it when the time comes." He said pulling her against him and kissing her again with a fiery passion that consumed them both. He wrapped his tail around her waist and continued to kiss her, letting go of his transformation and returning to his normal state.

Bulma opened her eyes, noticing the absence of the light and heat that had been coming off him in his transformed state. It was so dark again she could barely make out his outline. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For bringing me up here. I'm truly honored you showed me your ascended state."

He kissed her again, trying to convey the thoughts he could not put into words. He knew that she was a large part responsible for his ascension, though he could not bring himself to say it to her. She deserved to see it. She had been the first to see it all those months back when he had finally broken the barrier he thought almost impossible. She deserved to be the first to see it now that he had perfected it to a degree. He still had a lot of work. It had been very difficult for him to maintain his transformed state as long has he had just now, without expelling all of the energy he had contained within him. To do so would have quite literally blown her away.

He picked her up again and placed her on the ground, kissing her and ravaging her. He could not sense any doubts lingering in her mind, but he would do everything he could right now to squelch any that she might still have, even if they were small.

They made love on top of the plateau, giving into each other fully and without restraint, further strengthening their bond between one another. He shared with her everything he felt for her. Last night she had strengthened and reassured him and eased his insecurities and erased the shame he felt. Tonight it was his turn to strengthen her and show her the unwavering pride and confidence he had in her. He knew she needed it and showed her how he saw her; all of her strengths positive qualities and all the reasons he had chosen her with complete confidence and without reservation. That she was weak physically was the least of his worries. It was the strength in her character he valued; her brilliant mind and compassionate nature that drew him to her. She was his equal in every way that mattered. He would have her no other way.

He tried to show her the best way he could the reason he saw her as a weakness to him. Not to demean her or to make her feel bad, but so that she would fully understand it from his point of view. He showed her the very real fear he had of losing her again. That he valued her presence in his life, despite never wanting to admit it. _**I may never admit to this again, and god knows I will deny it until I am blue in the face if asked, but know that it is true.**_ He said to her. He needed her, and had accepted that. He showed her again what her loss had done to him, but this time did not hold back anything from her. She needed to know what she did to him. She needed to understand why she was a weakness, but also that he did not resent her for it, like she seemed to think he did. She was both his greatest strength and biggest weakness at the same time. He would lay to waste any and all who would seek to hurt or destroy her without hesitation even if it meant exposing that weakness to the masses and galaxy. He expressed to her in his own way that his pushing her away was his way of protecting her from those that would harm her just to get to him and that if they ever succeeded in doing so, it would lead to his ultimate demise. Yet he would not change his decision for the wealth of the galaxy. He needed her to understand that so that it would not continue to be a bone of contention between them. That he had just put his pride on the line, trusting her that she would not exploit him and his weakness for her had been a difficult thing for him to do just now, yet he had done it all the same for her.

She clung onto him for dear life, crying out his name in ecstasy as he overwhelmed her entire being with his thoughts and feelings. Never had she thought she could feel so much for one person. She loved him with every fiber of her being and knew he returned the sentiment in his own way. In that moment she was grateful for the bond they shared; words would never be able to express or explain the depth of what they shared together.

He carefully withdrew from her and sat up, pulling her into his lap. She leaned into his strong chest contentedly as he wrapped his tail and strong arms around her. She was still trembling from pleasure and the intensity of emotion still washing within her. He held her tightly as though she would break if he loosened his hold on her. It was then that she began to cry.

"Why are you crying, Woman?" he asked with a frown, though it was dark out and she wasn't facing him so could not see.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I am just overwhelmed."

"You and your silly emotions." He grumbled. "I will never understand."

She laughed between sobs. "I love you so much,"

He nodded. He knew she did. She had told him time and time again. He still did not understand why she was crying.

"I just feel like I am a horrible, horrible person."

"Why?"

"Because." She shrugged. "I have no doubt that you and I were meant for each other. The way I feel, the way you make me feel when we are together like this. It makes me feel like it's the reason my planet was destroyed. An entire civilization and race, completely wiped out simply because we were meant to find one another. I don't regret it. Not one bit." She confessed, going into a convulsion of sobs once again. "What does that say about me? I am so selfish! I would not want any of it back or change any of it if it meant losing you. My parents are gone. My father's company and everything he worked his whole life for. All gone. And I don't regret it. "

He sat there with her in his arms, letting her say what she needed to say. He did not agree, but he understood where she was coming from. "How am I any different?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked, still sniffling.

"I just betrayed and spat on everything I was taught to believe, all because I decided I wanted you. That choice may lead my planet into a civil war for all I know. Yet, I still made my choice and will stand by it."

Bulma nodded. "We are both probably the most selfish people in the galaxy then."

"Well, it is a good thing we found each other. The weakling had it right. We do deserve each other." He said almost teasingly.

She laughed, even though she was still crying. "That's so horrible though!"

Vegeta shrugged. "Then we both may go to hell when we die. As long as there is room enough there for the both of us, it matters little to me. In the meantime, let us be reckless and selfish while we can."

She laughed again at him, resting the back of her head on his shoulder and leaning her cheek on his jaw. They sat there in a blissful silence for a long time.

He could sense her nodding off, succumbing to sleep. He squeezed her gently, waking her up. They needed to get dressed and then he would take her back to the house. He had no way of knowing what time it was or if Kakarott and his mate were still up. Therefore, coming back completely naked did not seem like an appropriate solution at the moment.

The both dressed quietly and quickly. Once she was ready, he pulled her close again and brushed his lips against hers briefly before scooping her up again and taking flight. He tightened his hold on her once he realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. Within a few minutes they were back at the house. It seemed like Kakarott and his mate must have been asleep already. He climbed the stairs, thankful that the dogs didn't bark at him once he made it into Bulma's room. They were both sleeping on her bed, but jumped off when he laid her down carefully. He removed his clothing and climbed into bed, pulling her close to him.

He took in the scent of her hair and listened to her steady breathing as she slept. "I love you too, Woman." He murmured quietly, silently berating himself almost immediately after the words left his mouth. However, she was fast asleep and no one but the dogs were there. They would never tell.

__

Lord Frieza sat in the control room of his ship his arms crossed. He had not heard from Vegeta in two weeks. At first, he had not been overly concerned. Vegeta usually did not contact him during missions until there was something to tell. However, enough time had passed that he should have heard something from him by now. Interestingly enough, there had been no more bombs going off. So he had obviously solved the problem.

He was extremely agitated that he had not heard word or sound from him. That something had happened to him was extremely unlikely. So where was he? Had he skipped out on him? In which case, where was he? It had been two weeks and it was not like Vegeta to keep such a low profile. He would sure enough make himself known.

Frieza had sent Captain Ginyu out to investigate Vegeta's disappearance. He would hopefully be hearing from him within the hour. They had tracked Vegeta's ship. It was still on Bellatrix. So either he had to be hiding there or he had gotten his hands on another ship and disappeared somewhere. Frieza figured he had taken another ship and left. The thing was where had he gone? He had spies all over the galaxy and none of them had seen him. He offered out a huge reward to anyone that could give him any information on Vegeta's whereabouts; so far nothing had come up. It was as though he had disappeared off the face of the galaxy.

Frieza sat there calmly waiting, sipping his wine contemplating Vegeta's possible whereabouts. He hadn't gone home, so where was he? More importantly Why? His woman was dead. He had nothing left but to come back here or go home. He was found neither place. Frieza had so been hoping that Vegeta had turned a corner in his life. He had been nothing but exemplary these past several months. He had done nearly everything he had asked of him and had completed his missions efficiently and flawlessly. What a general he was turning out to be! However, it did not go unnoticed by him that Vegeta ignored his advances for something more to happen between them. He simply acted as though he did not notice and this also troubled him greatly.

He sighed deeply and enjoyed another sip of his wine when almost on cue, Ginyu's face showed up on the video screen. "Lord Frieza." He greeted.

"Captain Ginyu, how nice of you to check in." Frieza said. "Have you found anything of interest?"

"I located Vegeta's ship. It's here. He sold it to some old fool."

"I see." Frieza replied. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know. A few weeks back I guess. He took that guys ship and left." Ginyu replied.

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know. The guy didn't say."

"Well go back and ask him, Ginyu."

"That's the problem, my Lord." Ginyu said nervously. "I kind of blasted him."

"What? Why?" Frieza said sharply.

"He wouldn't let me on the ship to look around. He refused. Said it was his ship even though I told him it belonged to you and that Vegeta had wrongly sold it to him. It wasn't even his ship to sell. The old geezer took a swing at me with a stick. So I blasted him." Ginyu explained.

"I see." Frieza said calmly. "And did you think to ask him for a serial number for his ship he sold to Vegeta? Any planet requires that you must provide a serial number when you land. Did you think to get that from him?"

"No." Ginyu replied.

"Did you get this fool's name before blasting him so that you may ask the records people here what the serial number of his ship had been when he landed?"

"Umm. No." Ginyu said, sheepishly.

"No. Is there anything left of him that you may be able to retrieve some identification to take to the records department and find out which ship _had_ been his?" Frieza asked, still surprisingly calm.

"No." Ginyu answered again. "There's nothing left of him, my lord. I blasted him completely so there would be no evidence left."

"I see." Frieza replied again. "So you have nothing for me then. Only that you know Vegeta took another ship. Yet you have no way of tracking that ship because you killed the only person who knew anything about that little transaction. You do not even know what day it happened on so you cannot go through the log of ships that left. Again, you disposed of the only person who could have been of any use to us in this investigation."

"I am sorry, my Lord. I wasn't thinking." Ginyu stuttered.

"Apparently not, Ginyu!" Frieza shouted. "I ask you to do simple task and you manage to fuck it up before you even get started!"

"I. I'm sorry, Lord Frieza. I-"

"You will find me that little Monkey Prince! You will find him and bring him back here to me! I do not care how, just do it!" Frieza yelled at him. "And I do not want to see your ugly face until Vegeta is in your custody! Do you understand?!"

"Yes, my Lord." Ginyu replied wincing as Frieza disconnected their transmission. Great. He had really done it this time. With a heavy sigh, he left Vegeta's ship. There wasn't anything of any use there. He decided to check a few of the hotels. Maybe they had some information that could be useful. If not, he would just search a few of the nearby planets. He had to be hiding somewhere. He needed to figure out where and fast. Especially that now Lord Frieza was pissed off with him.

Ginyu headed down the street back to the hotel they all stayed at. They did not charge members of Lord Frieza's army for their stay. He went to the front desk and inquired about Vegeta. He had checked in but had never checked out. They had no idea when he had left and housekeeping had noted that the room did not seem to have ever been used with the exception that they had changed the towels in the bathroom once on the day that he had checked in. Ginyu thanked them and left.

The more he looked around the more it was looking like Vegeta had indeed disappeared completely. He was okay with that. He had never liked Vegeta; he was so arrogant and pompous. The only reason he had agreed to take this mission was because he could not wait to see Frieza rake him over the coals. Maybe Frieza would finally come to his senses and promote him as his new general over this. That had been his dream for years. He had worked his ass off to be the strongest in Frieza's army. He always had the goal in mind to one day surpass Zarbon and take his rank and position at Frieza's right hand. The only problem then would be who would he promote to Captain of the Ginyu Force?

They couldn't call themselves the Ginyu Force without him; and he could not see Burter or Recoome or Jeice or Guldo being in charge. Yes they were his men and he was proud of them, but none of them had the imagination or panache to be the captain of the force. It was a dilemma. He decided he would worry about it when the time came. Maybe he could be both Frieza's general and still be Captain of the Ginyu Force. It would be a lot of work, but he would find a way to manage both.

He asked at a bunch of the hotels. None of them seemed to know anything about Vegeta. He had showed them his picture on his information pad and no one claimed to have seen him. Getting frustrated, Ginyu headed to the last hotel he knew about. Once again, the staff at the front desk didn't know who he was, when one of the women behind the desk commented she had seen a man with hair like that came in one evening, did not speak to anyone and then left the next morning. He had come back briefly for an hour or so and then left again at the same time a black-haired girl had checked out.

The woman at the counter had remembered it quite vividly because she claimed she had never seen anyone so handsome as him. He had left when this girl had checked out and she had notived him follow her up the street wherever she had gone. She wasn't sure if they had been a couple or not. It hadn't looked like it, but she had thought it was odd that he had followed her from a distance. She hadn't seen where they went, but had been sure he had been stalking her or something.

Ginyu nodded. Maybe he had been investigating her as the bomber? Maybe he had decided to leave with her; take a new mate after what had happened those months back. He had been pretty messed up after all of that. He had only kept to himself and gone on whatever mission Frieza sent him on. Maybe he had finally lost it and found a new female to mate with to replace that blue-haired wench he'd seemed so enthralled with. Ginyu did not deny she had been stunningly gorgeous; however his tastes weren't for women who were so delicate in stature. He wouldn't have risked his neck for something so frail and seemingly useless. In any case, who cares where Vegeta was? That meant that he could get his promotion and not have to worry about fighting him for it. Ginyu had seen what Vegeta had done to Zarbon. There was no way he could ever hope to get enough strength and power to match Vegeta.

Ginyu asked about the woman. She apparently had black shoulder-length hair and bangs. Blunt cut and bright blue eyes. The name she had registered under had been "Ms. Launch". No first name; just Ms. Launch. Neither of them had been seen back there since. He got the date she had checked out and found out that apparently, this Ms. Launch had said she was from Vegas. Ginyu had asked for a picture of her from surveillance photos but unfortunately they only kept them for a week before deleting them. This had been over two weeks ago now. Ginyu thanked them and left. Maybe that's where Vegeta was hiding? It would be very easy for him to hide there. Ginyu assumed Vegeta would have acquired more than enough credits these last few months as Frieza's general that he could live a long time there in obscurity. Not to mention how much he would have anyway just because he was a Prince.

Ginyu headed back to the office at the shipping dock. Of course, there was no record of Vegeta aside from him arriving in his ship and no record of anyone named Launch leaving. It would be impossible to figure out which ship Vegeta had left in. The planet was so busy that there were hundreds of ships docking and leaving every hour. Also, if he had left with her in her ship, there would be no way of knowing which one had been hers since her name was not in their database as ever having been here. Ginyu sighed in annoyance and left back for his own ship. He shook his head. He realized now why Frieza had been so pissed at him for not getting the serial number of that ship. It would have helped. Oh well. At least he had a lead. Vegas. It wasn't much, but it was something. Plus he hadn't been there in a long time. Why not turn a business trip into a pleasure trip? Especially if Lord Frieza was angry at him? Depending on how angry would depend on whether or not he'd get another relaxing trip.

He set the coordinates on his ship for Vegas. He would be there in three days.

_**Three Days Later…** _

Captain Ginyu landed his ship, registered in and left. He was ready. Ready for anything; ready for some fun and ready to work. He really hoped he could find at least something to take to Lord Frieza concerning Vegeta's whereabouts.

He made sure he had his information pad with Vegeta's picture and stats on it and headed out. He figured his best bet would be to walk around and randomly ask passersby if they had seen this man.

After several hours of no success after checking some of the hotels and clubs, he decided to grab a meal. This was looking hopeless. How had he even thought this would be a good idea? Vegas was a huge planet. So many people coming and going; how could he hope that someone would just happen to remember Vegeta?

Ginyu took a seat on a patio on an outdoor restaurant with scantily clad waitresses. He ordered a stiff drink and a large meal. He took in the warm weather and busy atmosphere. It was very busy here. He looked at a few of the couples. There was a very attractive young couple to his left. They were sitting close to each other, obviously in the middle of a deep intimate conversation. Right in front of him there was a table full of guys partaking in what looked to be a drinking contest. They were quite rowdy. He was contemplating finding a way to join them when he heard the name "Vegeta" mentioned behind him. He immediately turned around and looked at the speaker.

He was sitting with a small bald guy and had long dark hair and a scar across his face.

"Wow. So she really is married to him?" the bald guy asked.

"Yeah." The scar-faced man nodded looking very upset.

"Huh." The bald guy commented. "She kept mentioning a husband and that his name was Vegeta but would never give me any information other than that. I thought she was just saying that to make me leave her alone."

"No, he's real alright. The bastard nearly broke my shoulder." The scar-faced man said. "I don't think it's right. He has to be threatening her to stay with him. Or maybe she's like his slave and feels like she has to stay."

"Could be." The bald one shrugged. "I know Kakarott bought Chi-Chi from some place around here because she was Bulma's friend but he doesn't treat her as a slave. Maybe it's the same thing with Bulma?"

"I don't know, but it's messed up whatever the deal is. I need to get her away from him."

"Are you sure you really want to go there, Yamcha? I mean, she seems happy. I haven't met the guy but from what you're telling me, he's scary. Look at what happened to you?"

"Excuse me," Ginyu said, leaning off his chair at the two men. "I am sorry, but I could not help but over hear your conversation. You were mentioning a guy named Vegeta?"

"Yeah. So?" Yamcha asked with a frown, not liking that someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

"I am in search of someone with that name. Does he look like this by any chance?" Ginyu asked, handing the scar-faced man his info pad with a mug shot of Vegeta and his information.

"Whoa. That's him alright." Yamcha nodded. "You know him?"

"Unfortunately." Ginyu replied. "May I join you?"

Yamcha looked at his companion and shrugged. "Sure."

"Excellent." Ginyu grinned, taking a seat at their table.

"So, how do you know Vegeta?" Yamcha asked.

"We work together. He skipped out on our employer the middle of a mission and let's just say my employer is pissed. He has asked me to find him and bring him back." Ginyu explained. "Let's just say he's in some trouble. If I can't find him, then I'm in trouble. I couldn't help but also overhear that he's taken your woman from you?"

"Yeah. Well, she said they met after our planet was destroyed. He apparently saved her and now they're married. He thought she was dead and somehow found her so now she's back with him. He nearly broke my shoulder because he didn't want me talking to Bulma."

Ginyu nodded and frowned. Wasn't Bulma the name of that blue-haired concubine? "This Bulma you speak of. What does she look like? Does she have blue hair by any chance?"

"Yeah. You know her too?"

"I have seen her before and am familiar with who she is. She is his concubine." Ginuy said, not caring that he may have stretched out the facts somewhat. "There was some issue with him not wanting to share her with my employer and his men. He was going to sell her at an auction to make money off of her when his ship exploded with her supposedly on it."

"What? A concubine?" Yamcha exclaimed. "She never told me that!"

"Well, I was under the impression he made her think he was in love with her. Then when he got what he wanted from her, he went to sell her. That was what he told everyone anyway. He was boasting about how easy it had been. He is promised to another as well, you know." Ginuy continued, loving the look of outrage in the other man's face. This would be so easy! "I don't think she knew about that either."

"I knew he was no good!" Yamcha seethed. "I just knew it!"

Ginyu nodded sympathetically. "Can you tell me where he is?"

"I'll do better than that, I'll bring you right to him!"

"Well, wait. That may not be a good idea, Yamcha." Krillin said.

"No, Krillin. This guy is bad news. He has obviously fooled Bulma. She needs my help since I'm obviously the only one that can see through him." Yamcha said. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, give me a minute to contact my employer." Ginyu said, grabbing his scouter. The fact that the blue haired mate of his was alive was certainly something Lord Frieza may be interested in knowing about. Vegeta had also mentioned that day she was supposedly killed that she was a genius. _I just hit the jackpot here! Lord Frieza will be thrilled!_ He thought to himself. "Will you excuse me a moment? I will be right back."

Yamcha nodded. Krillin frowned at them both. "Yamcha, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Yeah. I'm saving Bulma from that asshole."

"Are you sure? I didn't really like the way that guy was smiling just now. How do you know what he's telling us is true. Bulma seems like a pretty smart girl to me. I don't think she could be taken advantage of that easily. And if he thought she was dead, why would he come back for her?"

"Who cares?" Yamcha sighed. "I just want her back. We were meant for each other. I don't like him being with her. He's no good for her."

"Won't she be upset with you when she finds out?"

"Maybe for a little while, but like you already said, B is super smart. She'll come around and realize that this is for the best. I know it!"

"Well, you know her better than I do." Krillin shrugged, still not liking this plan. Kakarott had become a good friend to him and had always talked very highly of Vegeta. So had Bulma. This sounded like a very bad plan. He hadn't met Vegeta yet, but from what he knew of him from Bulma and Kakarott and hearing Yamcha's tale of their meeting, he knew he didn't want to make an enemy out of him. "Do what you want, but I want no part in this. You're on your own on this one." He said, paying his half of their tab and leaving.

-0-0-0-

Ginyu practically ran around the corner he was so eager to share his findings with Lord Frieza.

"What, Ginyu. Did you finally find me something useful?" his boss' voice said disdainfully on the other end of his scouter.

"I sure did, my Lord!" he replied proudly. "The only information I got on Bellatrix was that he was stalking some girl who had told her hotel staff she was from Vegas. So I came here and as luck would have it I heard two guys talking about Vegeta."

"Alright. Where is he then?" Frieza asked sounding bored already.

"I don't know, my Lord. I didn't get that far yet." Ginyu said. "But you'll be happy to know that-"

"Ginyu! If you have called to tell me that you have fucked this up even more than you already have, so help me I will-"

"No no! My Lord! I found out that Bulma, that blue-haired concubine of his lives. He's with her." Ginyu interrupted.

"What?" Frieza asked.

"Yeah. She's alive. He is with her now. Some guy was bitching that Vegeta had come between them or some shit. He's real interested in giving him up. What do you want me to do? Want me to go back with them and bring him to you?"

"Hmmn." Frieza replied. This was a most interesting turn of events he had never in his wildest imagination would he have thought of this. What should he do? The thought that he may have destroyed a scientific genius had plagued him after he had impulsively blown up that ship. He had wondered time and again if Vegeta had been telling the truth about her supposed brilliant mind that day. If she indeed was alive, this could be a huge advantage. He could use her to destroy Vegeta and advance his technological department if she indeed was a genius. If not, she would make a beautiful addition to his harem. Either way, this was a win/win situation no matter how he looked at it.

"Umm, Sir?" Ginyu cut into his thoughts. "What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing." Frieza replied. "Can I talk to this fine, upstanding gentleman?"

"Umm, sure. He's still here." Ginyu said to him. "What do you have in mind? I thought you wanted me to retrieve Vegeta?"

"I did, but I just thought of a much better plan. I want the girl. Vegeta will come to us. I will need this persons help though."

Ginyu nodded and went back outside to where the scar-faced man was now sitting alone at the table. "Umm, my employer wishes to make you an offer. He wants to speak with you."

"With me?" Yamcha asked, surprised. "Ok, sure." He nodded, taking Ginyu's scouter and putting it on. "Hello?"

"Hello." Frieza replied. "I hear you know the whereabouts of one of my most valued generals."

"I do, yea." Yamcha replied. "You want me to try and get him to you?"

"No, no. That will not be necessary. Do not get in his way. He is extremely dangerous. I am grateful for your cooperation in this matter and do not wish to see you harmed." Frieza said calmly. "I wish to know about the girl though."

"Bulma? What do you want to know about her? What does she have to do with this?"

"Well, I have heard rumors of her intelligence. That she is a technological genius of some sort. Is this true?"

"Well, yeah. She and her father were the smartest people on our planet before it was destroyed. She's brilliant."

"She and her father?" Frieza asked.

"Yeah. Her father, Trunks Briefs. Do you know him?"

"Trunks Briefs. Yes, I know him quite well actually. He is employed as one of my top scientists. How nice would it be to reunite father and daughter, don't you think?" Frieza asked.

"Oh wow! He survived? That's great! She'll love that!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"Indeed. I wish to offer her a position as well in my department. Should you deliver her to me, I will reward you handsomely and find you a position here as well."

"Wow! That's awesome that you would do that! Thanks! I just don't know how I'll get her to you. I don't know where you are and she's kinda mad at me right now. This Vegeta creep has her completely under his control. She'll never leave without him. Hey, wait, didn't you want him?"

"I do. If you deliver her, he will come to me on his own accord. I am not worried about that. When he does, rest assured, I will deal with him appropriately."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan. I don't like him. He's no good for her. Anything that gets her away from him is a good plan in my book. You have my word, I will do what I can to get her away from him and to you so she can see her dad again."

"Thank you very much. See to it that you do." Frieza replied. He could barely contain his excitement. _My, my. What a fruitful day this had been!_ "Let me speak to my Captain again."

"Alright. Bye!" Yamcha said, handing the scouter back to Ginyu.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"See to it that this fellow delivers the girl to you. Wait here until he returns then bring her to me. She is not to be touched or manhandled in any way, do you understand?" Frieza instructed.

"Of course, my Lord."

"Do not fail me on this, Ginyu. Let me know the moment she is in your possession."

"I will." He nodded.

"Wow! I can't believe this! This is great!" Yamcha exclaimed. "Want me to leave now? It will take me three weeks to get back to Callisto."

"Yes. Leave now. I will wait here for you." Ginyu said. "Do not tell her anything. Vegeta has turned her against our employer. My advice is to drug her and take her with you."

"I already thought of that. She'll never leave that ass on her own. I know it's the only way, but whatever. I'll do it. Your boss seems like a great guy! He offered us both a job and he has her father there waiting for her. What a great guy!"

"You have no idea." Ginyu said with a smile. He had no idea what Frieza said to this fool, but it didn't matter. He was on the right track for his promotion.

Yamcha insisted on paying for Ginyu's tab and left to find Krillin to leave as soon as possible.

-0-0-0-

It hadn't taken Vegeta long to settle into life on the planet Callisto. It had taken him some getting used to, but he had adjusted and found that he fit in quite well. It hadn't taken him all that long to settle into a daily routine of training with Kakarott and when he wasn't doing that he spent as much time with Bulma as he could.

He continued to train with her in the morning with Kakarott before they began their "real" training in the Gravity Simulator. Chi-Chi participated most mornings as well, but it was very clear that in a few weeks she would have to watch from the sidelines. She was getting big and very uncomfortable. However that seemed to be the worst thing she had to say about the pregnancy so that was a good thing.

Bulma continued with her sword play instruction with Tien most afternoons. Sometimes Vegeta even accompanied her. The first time he had come out he had been very impressed with her progress and level of instruction she had received. He was more than confident that she could take care of herself well if she needed to. He had even sparred with her on occasion. He had of course been taught the art of sword play as a young boy. However he had soon lost interest in it as he grew and so did his strength. He realized that he hadn't picked up a sword since his mother had passed. She had been the one to teach him. His father of course hadn't thought much for it but had allowed her to teach him since it was something she loved. Sparring with Bulma reminded him of those cherished moments in his youth with his mother that he had thought long forgotten. He'd even felt a slight pang of disappointment that Bulma never had the opportunity to meet his mother. She would have loved Bulma despite her not being a Saiyan.

Vegeta also found that he did not mind having the dogs around either. For reasons that he could not figure out, Aro had become his constant companion when he wasn't training in the Gravity Room. He admitted that he did not mind having the dog around. His quiet, calm demeanor and constant presence was oddly comforting at times. The dog had the look of such intelligence in his eyes that he swore sometimes the dog could read his mind; he seemed to instinctively know when it was okay to sit close to him or rest his head on his foot or leg and when to keep his distance. He had come to trust Aro implicitly. When he wasn't training, he insisted Bulma take him wherever she went.

He knew that Danger loved Bulma and the young dog was coming along very well and in time would most likely be equal to if not better than Aro in a few years, however he was still very young and lacked the same maturity and strength Aro did. Danger had attached himself only to Bulma and that was it. He had a very reserved, cool nature. He was very quiet and was almost like a shadow following her. It was easy to forget he was even there at times. However Vegeta did not always trust the young dog. Not that he thought he would ever hurt Bulma. That was not his concern. He just felt the dog looked at him with distrust. He would not approach Bulma if Vegeta was near her. He would sit a few feet back and just watch him as though waiting for him to do something to her. It was strange. He did not fear that the dog could seriously hurt him. He just did not ever want to find himself in a situation to have to take the dog out. Bulma loved him and had put so much time into him. She loved Aro too, but Danger was different. She had taught him everything he knew. He had bonded to her and to her alone. It was as if he merely tolerated everyone else's presence, which Vegeta could relate to somewhat.

Bulma had laughed at him one day when he mentioned his concerns where Danger was concerned to her. She had reasoned that he knew that it was Vegeta's job was to protect her; therefore there was no need for him to shadow her when he was around. Vegeta accepted this explanation however still watched his actions around the dog. He had gotten bit once by accident while training and it hadn't been good. The dog may have only weighed fifty pounds and looked like he weighed less because of his sleek build; however he was not to be underestimated. His bite was almost as good as Aro's by this point. Vegeta nodded in acceptance that the two dogs were extremely valuable. God help anyone that decided to cross either of them.

He rolled over in bed, reaching for Bulma and pulling her close. Things between them had never been better. They had decided to sleep in a bit today, though it was still dark out so it could not have been that late yet.

He and Kakarott had over done it a bit the previous day and the younger Saiyan had been in the regen tank until late last night. Thankfully Bardock had had the foresight to think of installing one in the gravity chamber. They'd both needed it from time to time. Kakarott would not be ready to resume until the afternoon most likely. Unless he decided to take the day off, which neither one of them usually did. However, having the morning off was a nice break. They had been training very hard.

Bulma groaned as he pulled her close. "Don't move. Please."

"Why?" he asked, frowning at her.

"I don't feel well." She moaned.

"What is wrong?"

"I don't know. I just feel nauseous. The room feels like its spinning. You moving me just makes it worse." She said, keeping her eyes closed and taking deep breaths. "Sorry."

He frowned. That wasn't normal. "How long have you felt this way?"

"A few hours." She answered, pulling her knees up higher to her chest in a fetal position. "I've been awake for a while. I have felt this way on and off for a few days but today it has been worse than ever."

He nodded and looked down at her. She did seem a little warmer than usual. He laid his head back down, resting his chin on the side of her neck gently. He did not want to disturb her if she was ill. She smelled fine; not like a sick person. Maybe it was a good thing that they would not be training until later on. He wanted to keep an eye on her and make sure she was alright. They lay like that quietly for several minutes. He had felt himself almost drifting back to sleep.

"Oh god." She moaned and launched herself out of bed and ran to the small bathroom in their bedroom. She just barely made it to the toilet and began retching and heaving.

He quickly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom and saw her sitting on the floor throwing up into the toilet and shaking almost uncontrollably. His eyes widened in concern, having no idea what to do. She had never been ill in the entire time he had known her. He was never ill. Not knowing what else to do, he quickly left the room and ran to get a glass from downstairs. He came back up, filled it with water from the sink and knelt down next to her, offering it to her, which she accepted. She was still shaking and her body was wet with perspiration from the stress of having been throwing up for the last few minutes.

Vegeta reached forward and gently caressed her damp cheek with the back of his knuckles. What was wrong with her? She was still trembling and she was white as a sheet. She touched his hand and gave him a small smile, grateful that he was here and at the same time a bit embarrassed that he'd seen her so sick just now. He noted that even her hands were cold and clammy. This was not normal.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he stood up, still watching her carefully. He ran a face cloth under the tap and handed it to her.

"I think so." She said, wiping her face and neck. "For now anyway."

He nodded and picked her up carefully, cradling her delicate form in his arms. She was still shaking and this disturbed him greatly. He was at a loss for what to do. He laid her back down in bed, pulling the sheets and blankets over them and held her loosely in his arms, wanting to keep her close but at the same time so that if she needed to bolt to the washroom again he would not be in her way.

Vegeta's mind began to race at all of the possibilities. Had they eaten something that was off? He thought not because he sensed Kakarott's mate and she seemed fine. They had all eaten the same thing last night. Maybe she had picked up an illness while out in the market. She had been out and a bout for a bit yesterday.

"Does this planet have a physician?" he asked. That was the only thing he could think of. If they had been back home on Vegeta-sei, he would have taken her straight to Bardock. The older Saiyan seemed to know a lot about medicine and such. However, being that Saiyans in general almost never got sick, would he have even known what to do? Vegeta huffed to himself at his loss of knowing what to do. At least Bardock would have been able to point him in the right direction to trying to figure out what was wrong. Instead, he was laying here with his sick mate, panicking at not knowing what was wrong with her and hoping this was just an isolated incident. That there wasn't something seriously wrong with her.

"I'm sure it's fine." She rasped back to him, her throat still raw from being sick. She had obviously been reading his thoughts. "Humans get sick every once in a while."

"You have been ill like this before?" he asked.

"On occasion, yes." She said. "Though not very often."

"How long does it last?"

"Twelve hours. A day maybe?"

"Hmmn." He grumbled. He still didn't like it, but maybe she was right. "If you are not better by tonight I will go find a physician."

Bulma nodded; touched by his concern. They lay together in silence for a long time before she was up and sick again. Vegeta knelt down next to her, completely horrified. He felt useless. All he was doing was sitting there watching her wretch till she couldn't breathe. She trembled almost violently, barely keeping herself up so as to not make a mess. All he had been able to do was hold her hand and give her a fresh glass of water.

"Go and get Chi-Chi." She whispered as she finished another bout of illness, resting her head on her forearm, which she had laid across the toilet.

Vegeta simply nodded. He wasn't sure what she would be able to do, but went to get her as requested, leaving her just in time as another wave of sickness hit her full force. He shook his head and frowned deeply as he heard it.

He walked out of their bedroom and quickly strode down the stairs, finding Chi-Chi in the kitchen. "Hey, Vegeta," she greeted, giving him an odd look. He was only wearing a pair of loose black pants and no shirt. He never walked around without a shirt on.

"The Woman needs you. Now." He said urgently. "She is ill. I do not know what to do. She has asked for you."

"Ill? What do you mean ill?" she asked, going to the sink and washing her hands. She could tell he was upset.

"She is ill!" he repeated irritably.

"Alright, alright." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes at him. "I got that. I meant what's wrong with her?"

"She has been throwing up, is nauseous. Shaking." He rattled off all the symptoms he could remember.

Chi-Chi nodded and gave him a funny look he did not understand. He did not see anything amusing at this situation. "Alright. I'll come see her. I'll bring something up for her. Okay? Just relax."

He scowled at her and headed back up the stairs to check on Bulma. She was still in the bathroom, lying on the floor. "She is coming. Bringing something." He said. "Are you done?"

Bulma nodded. He picked her up and brought her back to bed again. He threw the blankets over her and quickly grabbed a shirt from the floor, putting it on. He then went back to the bathroom and wet the damp towel again and sat down next to her and carefully wiped her forehead, cheeks and neck.

Chi-Chi walked into their room and held back a smile as she observed him for a moment. He had been here about three weeks or so and not once had she seen him display any form of physical affection towards her friend. It was as though it weren't allowed. He didn't even hold her hand. Yet here he was doing everything he could to make sure she was comfortable. It was so strange seeing him like that. She knew he cared deeply for Bulma. That much was obvious. The way he looked at her and kept his eye on her when she wasn't with him; the mischievous glint in his eye she only just recently learned to identify when he was teasing Bulma to the point where she wanted to rip her hair out. Chi-Chi had only just picked up on that a few days ago. It was almost non-existent behind that carefully crafted mask he usually wore, but she had picked it out. She still didn't quite "get" him, but she could see how much he cared for her friend. Kakarott had been right: he may not express it, but whatever he did feel for Bulma ran deep. Just seeing him like this now proved that. He was being so gentle. Even when he had come downstairs and asked her to come up, she could see he truly was concerned.

She almost felt like she was intruding; observing him. It was nice to see, however she knew he would be embarrassed if he had known she had been standing there these past few seconds. She knocked on the side of the door frame, announcing her presence. She nearly went into a giggling fit when he looked up and nearly leaped five feet back as though Bulma had the plague and the mere thought of touching her repulsed him. _God forbid anyone should ever see you display even the remotest bit of concern or affection._ She thought to herself, refraining from rolling her eyes at him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked her friend. She looked terrible. "I made you some tea."

"I think I have a stomach bug." Bulma said weakly.

Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow at her friend. "You sure that's all it is?"

"Reasonably." Bulma nodded, frowning slightly.

"Reasonably?" Vegeta asked irritably. "What else could it be?"

The two women looked at him blankly; blinking at him a few times then looked at each other.

"Well? Spit it out." He nearly shouted, glaring at both of them.

"Can you give us a minute, Vegeta?" Bulma asked, feeling bad but she wanted to talk to her friend for a moment first. He was so cute. She could tell he was worried about her; his eyes flashing with concern and now annoyance.

"Why?" he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the two of them. _**What is it?**_

_**More than likely, nothing.**_ She replied.

_**Then why all the secrecy?** _

_**I just don't want to needlessly alarm you.** _

_**I am already alarmed, Woman! You can barely stand on your own two feet you're so weak.** _

_**I know you are, and I appreciate that, but just give me a minute. I will let you know. I promise.** _

"Umm, Guys?" Chi-Chi interrupted them. She hated it when they did that; sat there and had a private mental conversation in front of her. They did it all the time. She and Kakarott could communicate that way but obviously not nearly as well as they could. It wasn't something they had really worked on since they had bonded. Kakarott didn't seem to think it was that pressing, so she just followed his lead on it. She could pick up more on emotions and feelings from him and that had been enough for her. She did not need to hear everything he thought and she certainly did not want him hearing every thought that went through her mind. She supposed though in Bulma and Vegeta's case it was a good thing. Vegeta either could not or would not verbally communicate his feelings to her. This way she always knew. Bulma had mentioned before that what he could not say verbally he always expressed physically. She didn't understand it but was glad he made her friend so happy. Since Vegeta had joined them, she hadn't seen Bulma so happy. Ever. She was happy and content.

"Whatever." Vegeta huffed and left the room, heading down the stairs.

"What's that all about?" Chi-Chi asked.

"He's just concerned and a bit offended I asked him to leave." Bulma said.

"So?" Chi-Chi asked, pouring her friend a cut of tea and sitting down next to her.

"What?" Bulma asked.

"Do you think?"

"I don't know." Bulma shrugged. "I guess it's possible, but-"

"Of course it's possible. You guys are always. You know."

Bulma felt her face grow hot.

"Oh, come on. You guys aren't exactly quiet." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes.

"Chi, I'm sorry. We try, really. We even leave a lot of the time-"

"You guys leave too?" Chi-Chi asked with a shocked expression. "Well, no wonder, girl. And you think it's only a possibility?"

"Hey, don't judge me. I've had to endure you guys too all those months before and I never said anything." Bulma said with a frown. "Oh, god. Not now."

"Well, what did you think would happen?"

"I wasn't. We weren't." Bulma shrugged. She really hoped she wasn't pregnant. Not yet. "I can't be pregnant."

"Uhm. I'd say it's a pretty good possibility, B." Chi-Chi said. "Why? What's the big deal? Things are great between you two I thought."

"They are. It's perfect." Bulma said "It's just that we can't. Vegeta's going to have a fit."

"Well then he should have thought about that earlier, huh?" Chi-Chi said haughtily. "Really, what's he going to do? Leave you?"

"I don't know. I don't think so, no." Bulma said shaking her head. She was convinced he would never do that. "He just won't be very happy about it right now is all. Not with everything up in the air and not while we're here. He's convinced I'll die."

"Oh, well that's positive." Chi-Chi groaned. "Alright, well give it a few days. If it clears up then whatever. If it doesn't then I'm afraid it's pretty obvious. I was sick for like three months."

Bulma nodded. She really didn't want to be pregnant right now. Not yet. "Don't tell him."

"I won't." Chi-Chi shrugged, getting up. "Need anything?"

"No, thanks." Bulma said, shaking her head. "I'm going to try to sleep."

"If he's still down there can I tell him to come back up?"

"Yeah. If he's not too pissed at me, of course. It's up to him."

Chi-Chi shook her head. They were such a strange couple; they always seemed to run so hot and cold. She closed the door and made her way back downstairs. To her surprise, Vegeta was leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Well?" he asked, looking up at her with an angry scowl. He had been trying to read her thoughts, but she had found a way to keep him out. This couldn't be good.

"I think she's fine." Chi-Chi shrugged.

"Fine?" he asked narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Yeah. Fine. Like she's not going to die if that's what you're worried about." She said sarcastically. He really needed to loosen up. "Give it a few days. We'll know by then if it's just a flu or what."

"And if it's not a flu?"

She shook her head. He was just as clueless as Kakarott had been. "Then we play it by ear. But trust me, I think she's just fine." She said with a smile, trying to reassure him but knew it wasn't helping. He wasn't stupid. However, it wasn't her place to say anything more. "Go see her."

"Why? I am not wanted." He said almost petulantly, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Yes you are." Chi-Chi sighed. "Just go. I don't think Kakarott will want to be doing anything major today anyway, no thanks to you. Just keep an eye on her. It'll make her feel better."

He sighed and mumbled something she couldn't quite catch and headed back up the stairs. "I'll make some soup." She called after him.

Vegeta made it back up the stairs and walked into the room. She wasn't in bed anymore. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he heard her retching in the bathroom again. He grabbed the glass of water on the night stand and made his way over to her. He hated seeing her this way. It only reminded him of how frail and weak she was. _Kakarott's mate had better be right._

"Hey." She whispered, trying to stand back up. He offered her his hand, which she gratefully took. He cocked his head to the side and observed her carefully. She could not stand up straight and was still shaking like a leaf. To him this did not look like nothing to worry about; but neither of them seemed overly concerned, so maybe he was over reacting.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

"Yea." She nodded and headed back to bed. He watched her hunched over form head back to the bed slowly. He followed her and crawled in next to her. She reached behind her and took his hand and pulled his arm around in front of her; she squeezed his hand. "Thanks for being here."

"Hmmn." He grunted. "Someone has to look after your weak form."

She smirked at him. "Stop worrying. There's nothing to worry about. Not yet."

"And what exactly is the potential worry? Both you and Kakarott's woman keep saying that." He huffed. "And why are you blocking your thoughts from me? If something is wrong, I have a right to know."

She nodded. He was right. He did. She swallowed hard and thought for a moment. She took his hand and moved it down to her stomach. She knew Kakarott had been able to sense out his and Chi-Chi's baby really early on when he actually tried. She assumed Vegeta could too. "Vegeta, I. I think I might be pregnant." She whispered. She held her breath and braced herself. She wasn't sure what for, but she truly wasn't sure how he was going to react to this. She knew from before how he'd felt about it. Chances are it would not have changed.

He didn't say anything. He didn't even move as he let the weight of that statement take full effect. He closed his eyes and searched; concentrating on the possibility. Deep down he wasn't surprised. The birth control shot she had received would have more than likely worn off ages ago. Since they had reunited they had both been careless and thoughtless. How many times had he taken her since then? He didn't know. Several on the first night they had found each other on Bellatrix. He sighed deeply as he found what it was he was so desperately hoping he would not find. A very small ki; buried deep in her womb.

A mixed torrent of feelings washed through him. Relief that she wasn't dying. Not yet, anyway. Then came the fear. Fear that she would not make it through this ordeal. Fear that he was not ready for the responsibility to be a father even if she did make it through. Fear that he was not strong enough to protect both her and their child. Then came the very unexpected feeling of joy. He didn't know why. He may very well lose her over this. However, he let his mind overcome the overwhelming sense of dread and fear at that possibility. If she did make it through, this would be the first good thing he had done in his life. It was something they both had created together. He supposed out of love; even though he hated that word. It had certainly not been intentional, but he let go of his pride enough to recognize that this child was something they had created together out of their union. However the feeling of dread and fear and anger returned. Anger that he had been so careless with her in the first place. Anger that even if she did make it and gave him a strong healthy heir, there would be those set and determined on destroying her as well as that child. His father could never know of this. Frieza had to be destroyed. He could not risk him finding out about this either. On top of that, she could not remain here. He knew Kakarott's mate seemed to be doing just fine. However she was still really early along and if Kakarott was foolish enough to not worry, that was his problem. He had to get her off of this backwater planet. There was no technology; nothing to help her should anything go wrong. Where would he take her though? With Frieza still alive, it was not safe for him to leave and risk being found. He wasn't ready. Anyway he looked at it. He was not ready. The timing on this was all wrong. They were not ready.

Bulma swallowed back the lump in her throat. She knew it; as soon as Chi-Chi had mentioned it. She felt overwhelmed as her emotions clashed with Vegeta's. He was already starting to panic. _**What are we going to do?**_ She asked.

_**I do not**_ _**know.**_ He replied, sighing heavily.

_**You're not angry at me?**_ She asked nervously. She had felt anger in there somewhere but wasn't sure where it had been directed at. He wasn't being fully open with her at the moment.

_**Angry at you? No. I am just as much to blame for this. We both should have been more responsible.**_ He said somewhat harshly. _**We need to find a physician.**_

_**I'm sure I'm fine, Vegeta. It's just morning sickness. It's common for our race. Chi-Chi was sick for the first three months. She's fine now. This will pass.** _

_**We need to take care of this.**_ He said slowly, as though he was choosing his words very carefully. _**I cannot let you carry a child. Not full term and not here.**_

_**Wait, what? Vegeta, what are you saying?**_ She asked, slowly turning herself around to look at him, dreading his answer.

_**I am sorry, I cannot. It is too dangerous.**_ He said sadly, shaking his head at her.

_**But Vegeta.** _

_**No. I told you before. I will not lose you. It is risky** _ _**enough as it is. However being here makes it impossible. There is no technology. There would be no way of helping you should the worst happen. I cannot. I cannot allow it, Bulma.** _

_**But Vegeta, this is our child; your heir. How could you even think of doing such a thing?** _

_**Because if I had to choose between you and it I choose you. That's how.**_ He said harshly.

She blinked back the tears she felt starting to form. _**Well I won't do it. I refuse.**_

_**You refuse? I thought you did not want children. I thought you said you did not need a child to be happy.** _

_**I don't . And at the time, I didn't. But that was before I was pregnant.** _

_**Woman, we agreed.** _

_**I know we did, Vegeta. And I had no issue with that. If I could change it, I would.** _

_**We can-** _

"No, Vegeta we can't." she said, raising her voice slightly. _**I won't.**_

He sighed deeply and clenched his teeth together. "Have I no say in the matter?"

"Not if your only solution is aborting our unborn child." She said with finality.

He looked at her so intensely; she didn't even notice she was holding her breath. "I would deny you nothing." He said.

"Except this." She said.

He shook his head at her. _**God damned stubborn Woman!**_ He grumbled to himself, not caring that she'd have heard him.

_**I cannot believe how callous you are being about this!**_ She said back to him. _**This is a life you are thinking of ending! Before even giving it a chance!**_

_**Your life may end if I allow this!** _

_**But you don't know that! You're only assuming the worst!**_ She argued. _**Please, Vegeta. I love you and I would do almost anything you'd ask. Just don't make me do this. I can't.**_

He frowned heavily and looked at her a moment. He didn't know what to do. "We will discuss this later." He growled and left.

Bulma sighed sadly, trying to keep her emotions in check. She tried to reach out to him, but of course, he had put a wall up and was keeping her out. She hated that he was doing that, but decided that maybe for the moment it was for the best. _Let him think this over._ She knew he wasn't angry at the fact that they were going to have a child. She had felt the joy he had felt at the prospect of having a child with her. It was his fear of losing her that was driving this. She understood but also hoped he would back down on making her give this up. He truly didn't know that she would die. What a horrible waste if she didn't and everything turned out alright. Not only that, but she would always wonder what if?

She curled herself in a ball and decided to try and get some sleep. She was exhausted and still felt extremely sick to her stomach. Maybe when she woke up, things would be better. She hoped.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta left the house and took off into the air as fast as he could. He wasn't sure where he would go or how long he would be gone. He just needed to leave and get his thoughts in order. There was a large part of him that didn't want to do this either. It wasn't that he didn't want to have a child with Bulma. There was no one else he could imagine having a child with. He knew any child they produced would be strong and intelligent and attractive. He knew Bulma would make a wonderful mother; she would be able to compensate and make up for all of his shortcomings. That wasn't his issue. His issue was: What if she died? Even worse, what if she and the child both died? Then what would he be left with? What if she died and the child lived? Then what would he do? Would he be able to raise it? Would he even be able to look at it, knowing that allowing it to be born it had killed his mate? Would he be able to forgive that? He wasn't sure. Could he hate something that would be half of her as much as it was half himself? He honestly did not know.

He landed on the highest plateau he could find. The one he had taken Bulma to a few weeks back when he had revealed his ascension to her. He sat down and looked down at the rest of the planet. He quite literally felt torn on this. A huge part of him wanted to be happy, even ecstatic over the thought of Bulma being pregnant. The other part of him was beyond terrified. He did not know what to do.

Part of him knew too that if he made her give up this child, he would lose her. He had sensed her acceptance and knew that she was adamant about keeping this child. He understood; he really did. It was a part of both of them. If they had been in a better situation, he would have not been so insistent on this. However he was selfish enough to not want to put her at risk and lose her. Even if it meant she may change her feelings towards him then fine, at least she would be alive.

_What are we going to do?_ He asked himself, burying his head into his hands. He wanted to be happy about this, but he just couldn't be. It wasn't feasible at this point in time.

-0-0-0-

Bulma rolled over in bed. She wondered what time it was and how long she had been a sleep. She felt better, that was for sure. _Where's Vegeta?_ She asked herself and then she remembered the events of that morning.

_I'm pregnant._ She thought to herself. She smiled and put her hand on her stomach. It was perfectly flat and toned. It was hard to believe that in just a few months she would be huge. It wasn't something she had planned on just yet. She agreed with Vegeta, they weren't ready for this. However, she wasn't about to give this up. She swallowed the lump forming at the back of her throat as she remembered Vegeta's harsh words to her that morning. _"I cannot allow you to carry a child full term here."_

Bulma quickly dismissed those thoughts and decided to get up and get something to eat. She couldn't feel Vegeta. She assumed either he was still brooding somewhere or he was training in the gravity room. He usually closed himself off when he was training. She hoped that was all it was. She changed quickly into a pair of loose-fitting pants and fitted t-shirt and made her way downstairs.

"Hey, B. Are you feeling better?" Chi-Chi asked. "I made some soup. Would you like some?"

"Sure, thanks, Chi-Chi." Bulma nodded. "I feel a bit better, yeah. What time is it?"

"Like around late-afternoonish?"

"Wow." She sighed. She had slept most of the day away. "Do you know where Vegeta is? Is he training with Kakarott?"

"No, they aren't training today. I don't know where he is. He left here a few hours ago in a huff and I haven't seen him since." Chi-Chi said dishing out some soup for both of them. "So? Did you tell him?"

"Yeah. He felt it. I'm pregnant." She said with a small smile.

"That's great!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, getting up to hug her friend. "Our babies can be best friends! They'll only be a few months apart!"

Bulma nodded.

"What's wrong?" Chi-Chi asked with a frown. She didn't seem as elated as she would have thought she would have been.

"Nothing. It just hasn't sunk in yet is all." Bulma said, shaking her head. She didn't want to tell her Vegeta's reaction that morning. Chi-Chi already had her issues with him and she didn't want to make it worse.

"What did he say?" she asked suspiciously. Vegeta hadn't looked happy when he had left.

"Not much. He's just worried about me and my safety is all. And we weren't planning on having kids anytime soon. It's just a bit of a shock is all. He'll be fine." She shrugged. She truly didn't think he had meant what he said that morning. She had felt the joy he had felt. He was only worried about her was all.

"Oh. He didn't look happy when he left. He didn't even say anything, just left. I was wondering what had happened. You sure that's all it is?" Chi-Chi asked suspiciously. "I know he didn't want to have any for a while. He's not mad, is he? Cause if he is, it's just as much his fault as yours."

"No, he's not mad." Bulma sighed. "Just worried about my health. His mother nearly died giving birth to him and she had died giving birth to his younger brother who had died a few days after. He's got a bit of a hang up over it. Especially with this planet being so under developed. That's why he's upset. That's all."

"As long as he's not leaving you or being an ass about it."

"No, Chi. It's not like that. You're constantly assuming the worst where he's concerned. He's not out to hurt me or be the bad guy. Yes, he can be difficult but he means well. He just doesn't always express it properly." Bulma said irritably. "Cut him some slack. This was just as much a shocker to him as it was to me."

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "I don't know why it was such a shocker. You do know where babies come from and how, do you not?"

Bulma ignored her friend and sipped her soup. "Great soup, Chi." She said, wanting to change the subject all together. "Where's Kakarott?"

"I don't know, actually." Chi-Chi said with a frown. "He was out with the dogs for a while working with them. He said something about Danger's grip getting lazy; I don't know and I think he got bored and may have gone to find Vegeta. Maybe they will spar for a bit today. I don't know. I just know he's not here."

Bulma nodded. She hoped Kakarott had gone to seek Vegeta out. He probably needed someone to talk to who would understand his point of view. Though if she knew Vegeta, he'd argue till high heaven that he didn't need to talk to anyone.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta looked up as he felt a familiar Ki approaching him and growled. He just wanted to be left alone! Was that so much to ask? He knew Bulma was awake. He had let his wall down just enough to keep an eye on her. She seemed to be feeling a lot better, which he was glad for. She had sought him out initially but he had not responded. He wasn't ready to talk to her just yet. He was, however, grateful that she hadn't pushed him into talking with her. She was giving him his space. He appreciated that greatly. Now he would have to talk to Kakarott and he was not sure if he was up to it at the moment.

"Hey, Vegeta." Kakarott greeted, taking a seat next to his prince and oldest friend. "Why've you been up here all day?"

"Leave me alone Kakarott." He growled, not looking at the younger Saiyan. "I've been up here because I do not wish company."

"Why? Did you and Bulma have a fight?"

"Sort of." Vegeta grated out, not wanting to discuss such private matters with him but also knowing that he wouldn't leave until he had told him something.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Do you mind if I ask what about?"

"Yes, Kakarott, I do mind but you won't leave until I tell you anyway, right? Not to mention that Bulma has probably filled in that harpy of a mate of yours by this time and she will tell you the worst of it."

"Okay," Kakarott replied, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Well, what happened? I'd rather hear your side anyway."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Bulma is pregnant."

"Really, Vegeta? That's great! Congratulations!" Kakarott exclaimed.

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied

"Uh ohh. It's not great?"

"You idiot! Why would it be great?" Vegeta spat at him. "Do you not remember what happened to my mother? She will die if she has to give birth on this backwater planet. I realize that must not be a concern to you. Obviously, you haven't shown any concern over your own mate and her condition. Surely you are aware of the risks."

"Yeah, I know, Vegeta." Kakarott shrugged.

"Then why do you not worry?"

"It's not that I don't worry. I do. And I did when I first found out. But I can take her elsewhere if it looks like it's going to be a problem. I have been keeping a close watch on the baby. So far, everything seems fine. If it looks like it won't, I'll find a place that she can safely go to give birth."

"You idiot! Finding someplace and then travelling there could take weeks not to mention months do you think my father did not keep close watch on my mother and look how quickly things went bad. We had access to the greatest facilities and physicians. Also, I do not have that luxury of leaving. In case you forgotten, I am most likely a wanted fugitive by Frieza. I cannot show my face anywhere."

"Hmm. True. But I can take Bulma for you if you want?"

"Absolutely not. I will not be sending her away to birth my child alone."

"But she wouldn't be alone. I'd be there with her." Kakarott said hopefully, wanting to help.

"No. If she is going to do this, I will be with her."

"What do you mean if?" Kakarott asked with a frown. "Vegeta, you aren't thinking of asking her to abort it, are you?"

"I was considering it, yes." He replied with a heavy frown. "Though after much consideration I cannot."

"Oh, good, Vegeta. That wouldn't be a nice thing to have her do."

"And allowing her to carry a half-Saiyan child full term on a planet that has no technology at all, whatsoever is nice?"

"Well, no. But I couldn't imagine asking her to do the other. Does she know that's how you feel? That you don't want to have a child with her?"

"Yes she knows. And it is not that I do not want a child with her. It is that I am worried I will lose her. I cannot go through that again, Kakarott. It was bad enough the first time and she wasn't even dead. I cannot imagine how hard it would be if she actually did die. I cannot do it. I will not. Not for the sake of having a child. Not right now, anyway. Maybe when we are back on Vegeta-sei and she can be monitored and looked after properly, but not here. Not now. I even fear what will happen when everyone finds out. The danger both she and that child will be under." Vegeta said, admitting all of his fears to his companion. "It does not matter so much for you and your child. No one will care. With our child, it will be a scandal. There will be those dead set upon destroying both of them. I will not tolerate it."

Kakarott nodded. He did understand Vegeta's fears. They were perfectly legitimate concerns. He didn't want to see anything bad happen to Bulma either. He loved her; she had become like a little sister to him after all these months. "I get it, Vegeta."

"And on top of all of that, and knowing that it is the best thing, I cannot bring myself to make her do it. I cannot." He said bitterly. "I know she would never allow it. She already told me as much; but even then, having thought about it these past several hours. I do not think I could allow her to go through with it even if she did agree. It is a life we both created out of our union. How many infants and children have I slayed, Kakarott? Without second thought or remorse. Yet I cannot bring myself to have her rid herself of an infant that I have not even seen or met with the knowledge that she may die bringing it into this universe. Furthermore why is it that I have been blessed with this? I do not deserve an heir. By all rights, I deserve nothing! Not even her. Especially not her, yet the gods found a way to spare her from death and now she's pregnant with my child."

"Don't look at it that way, Vegeta." Kakarott said uncomfortably. He wasn't sure what to say and he did understand why he'd feel that way. "I've done the same things you did while we were serving under Frieza. You know this. By rights then, I shouldn't be happy with Chi-Chi or be blessed with a child either. That did cross my mind at the beginning when I found out she was pregnant, but I didn't let it bother me. I made a decision that I will be the best father I can be to that child and make sure he isn't brought up the same way we were."

"Like that would change everything, Kakarott. Stop being a fool!" Vegeta replied harshly. "I do not know anything of being a father. I hate my own father. I consider your father more of a father to me than my own. How pathetic is that? What could I possibly have to offer a brat?"

Kakarott shrugged. "Just do everything you can to not be like your father and you'll be fine, Vegeta. Really. You aren't your father. So it shouldn't be too hard."

Vegeta sighed. "And if she dies and the brat lives, then what?"

"I don't know, Vegeta. I don't have all the answers. I'm in the same boat you're in."

"And these questions do not plague you?"

"No, they don't." Kakarott replied. "I'll worry about it if and when it happens, should it happen."

"Hmmn." Vegeta nodded. He knew he was letting his mind wander unnecessarily. He just didn't want to lose Bulma. Especially now after everything and he had finally let himself admit and accept what it was that he felt for her. It frightened him and he did not want to lose her.

"Hey, here's an idea," Kakarott said suddenly, taking Vegeta out of his thoughts. "We have the regen tank in the gravity room. We could put them in there if it there's a birthing problem. How many times have we both been on the brink of death due to injury and severe blood loss and were fine after a few days in there. It should work on them, shouldn't it?"

"You're right. That is an idea." Vegeta nodded, not believing that he hadn't thought of it himself. "It should work on them, shouldn't it?"

"I don't know. The regen tanks on Frieza's ship work for any species, why wouldn't the one in the gravity room? We can ask Bulma about it." Kakarott said happily.

"We can test it on your mate after she gives birth." Vegeta said dryly. "If it works and is good enough for her, it should be good enough for Bulma."

"That's right!" Kakarott exclaimed happily, not noticing the dig Vegeta had made with regards to his mate. "So does that make you happy now?"

Vegeta held back a smile. Smiling was not something he did. "I suppose it helps."

"Awe I knew you were deep down happy about this! You're going to be a daddy, Vegeta!"

"Do not get carried away, Kakarott!" Vegeta growled at him. "It helps, yes, but does not erase my concerns for down the road when we make it back to Vegeta-sei. Both she and the child will be in danger."

"I'll do whatever I can to make sure they're safe, Vegeta. It's the least I can do. You've offered me and my family so much. I see Bulma as my kin. I don't want to see anything happen to her or your child."

"I know you will. I thank you for that." Vegeta nodded. "We need to train harder. You have improved significantly these past few weeks; I am very pleased with our progress. However I still fear that between the two of us it still may not be enough."

"Thanks, Vegeta. Well, you know me; I won't quit if you don't. Hey, before you ascended, what did it feel like?" Kakarott asked. He had wanted to ask him for about a week now. "I get this feeling when I'm powering up like there's something else there, hidden; almost dormant. Every time I try to tap into it, it just disappears."

Vegeta scowled at him. That had been what he felt the day after he had killed Zarbon. He had meditated on the beach and tried to call upon it but it wouldn't come. It just hovered beyond his grasp. The more he had tried to release it the more elusive it became. That had been exactly the feeling. Dormant. How could Kakarott be experiencing the same thing? There was no way he would ever ascend, could he? "I suppose so. In the beginning, yes; though you cannot ever hope to ascend. It is not in your blood."

"I know. That's what I thought." Kakarott nodded. "But there's definitely something there. I just don't know how to get it. How did you?"

"Hmmn. I didn't try at first. I just came. It was available the moment I needed it when I saw Zarbon trying to violate Bulma. I did not even know I had done it." Vegeta explained. While he was not happy with the idea that Kakarott may have the ability to ascend, if he did they would be able to take out Frieza between the two of them.

"So then how did you know?"

"Bulma showed me. Through the bond." He said simply. "She had asked why my appearance had changed and when I questioned her meaning, she showed me. The next day I could not replicate it. It was, as you say "dormant". Then when I was taken on Frieza's ship I had to conceal my new found power. After all that time, before I was sent to Bellatrix, I kept it hidden. I went home to visit, your father gave me the gravity room and it was then that I was able to call upon it with ease."

"Huh." Kakarott nodded. "That's awesome."

"If you do have the ability to ascend, it will most likely happen when you need it at that moment." Vegeta said. "That was how it happened for me with Zarbon. I tried to power up to take on Frieza after he had destroyed the ship but I hadn't had the time. When you get it, it is very difficult to control and hang on to at first. I had called upon it but could not hang onto it properly. Not in the panic and rage that was flowing through me at that moment."

"Makes sense." Kakarott nodded. "You seem to have a really good grasp on it though. From what I can see."

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied. "It was a challenge. I only hope it will be enough. I feel unstoppable when I am in my ascended state. Everything changes. Vision, speed, strength; it all increases dramatically. It is nearly overwhelming at first. Though I doubt you will ever experience it."

"We'll see, Vegeta. I have improved a lot and I know I am far stronger than any of the elites now. You never know!" he replied cheerfully.

Vegeta didn't say anything. He simply looked out onto the horizon. Who knew what the future held for any of them. It was so uncertain. It frightened him. One thing was for sure, he would head back to the house soon and tell Bulma that they were going to have this child. Try as he might to fight it, he was joyful. This would be the second good thing he had done in his life. The first had been taking Bulma as his mate. He knew his fears weren't unfounded and would not disappear overnight, but he would swallow them the best he could for her. This half-Saiyan heir would be the first of many changes for the planet Vegeta-sei.

"Hey, Vegeta? Are you ready to head back?" Kakarott asked. "It's getting dark and I'm getting really hungry."

"Very well." Vegeta nodded. He was getting hungry too. He hadn't eaten at all that day. He wanted to speak to Bulma as well.

"Great!" Kakarott exclaimed, launching himself off the plateau. "I bet I can beat you there, Vegeta!"

"Hmmn. Not likely, clown!" he replied, transforming into his golden ascended state and taking off after the younger Saiyan.

-0-0-0-

Chi-Chi had finished making supper and was just cleaning up the kitchen when the door burst open and the two Saiyans walked in arguing as per usual.

"That wasn't fair, Vegeta." Kakarott whined.

"It was. I beat you fair and square."

"Yeah, but only because you transformed. So it wasn't fair."

"You never stipulated the terms." Vegeta argued back. "And you got a head start as well, so technically that was unfair."

"Whatever." Kakarott said with a childish frown. "I'll beat you next time."

"Oh, I cannot wait!" Vegeta chuckled. "Woman. What's for dinner?" he asked, looking pointedly at Chi-Chi.

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes at him. "It's all there on the stove. Help yourself."

The two Saiyans made their way over to the stove to see what was there for them. "Awe! Great, Chi-Chi! I love this dish!" Kakarott said. "Dig in, Vegeta!"

"I will. I need to see to Bulma. Where is she?" he asked Chi-Chi.

"Upstairs. She's been there a while."

Vegeta nodded and left to go to their bedroom. Once inside, he found her sitting in bed with her knees up and paperwork all around her. She was obviously working on something. Danger was laying on the end of the bed and Aro next to her on her right.

"Hey," she greeted, looking up from her work. An unsure look on her face. He had kept himself closed off from her all day and she had been worried. He hadn't done that to her in weeks. Not since they had fixed their bond.

"Hey." He replied stepping into the room. Aro jumped off the bed to greet him, while Danger put his head back down between his paws and resumed his nap. He pet the dog for a few moments and then sat down on the bed in front of her. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright." Bulma shrugged. "I'm not throwing up anymore, but I seem to be getting these dizzy spells. But I started having those a few days ago. How are you?"

"I am fine." He replied, unsure of what to say to her. "What are you working on?"

"I designed some armor for the dogs for when we make it back to Vegeta-sei and for the last few hours I've been concentrating on that upgrade you wanted for the Gravity Room. I may be able to boost the gravity up to 1000G's,"

"What? 1000!" he exclaimed, both his eyebrows raising.

"If you're good." She finished with a mock scowl.

"Hmmn." He sighed. He got up and pointed to the floor, at which Danger jumped off the bed. He opened up the door and let the dogs out. Bulma gathered up her paperwork and folded it all into a neat stack and placed it on the night table beside her and watched Vegeta expectantly.

He slowly made his way back to the bed and crawled in beside her, taking her into his arms. _That's a good sign._ She thought to herself. He brought his hand down to her stomach and began searching again for that small ki he had felt earlier that morning. Sure enough, there it was. He didn't say anything to her. Just lay there in silence with her.

"Still freaked out?" she asked. He had taken down the wall. She couldn't quite catch any definitive thoughts, but she was relieved that he seemed calm and picked up the feeling of acceptance.

"Hmmn." He replied. "I did a lot of thinking today."

"Did you?" she asked lightly.

"I will not make you give the child up." He said simply. "That does not mean I am completely alright with this. I am still very concerned, but we have some time, and Kakarott mentioned that we have the regeneration tank in the Gravity room. Should anything happen, you will go in there; as will Kakarott's mate if she needs it."

Bulma smiled to herself. She knew he would come around. That his reaction this morning had been purely out of shock and worry for her wellbeing. "Thank you." She murmured back to him, knowing that it would have been extremely difficult for him to relent on this and loving him even more for it.

"Hmmn." He replied, turning her over so that he could look at her. She looked tired from being sick, but her eyes shone happily and brightly back at him. He knew that for now he had made the right decision.

"I love you." She said to him, reaching for his face and pulling him down to her and kissing him. He kissed her back carefully and slowly. She carefully slid her hand down the front of his pants, gripping him boldly but gently.

"No," he said against her mouth.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, still stroking him with her hand. He was already hard, she knew he wanted her.

"Not in your condition." He replied.

She smirked at him. "It's fine."

"I do not want to risk it." he said, kissing her gently.

"I'm fine, Vegeta. I'm pregnant, not broken. We should be fine for a few months." She said, putting her other hand on his cheek. "I want you."

"Lusty wench." He replied, and kissed her deeply.

-0-0-0-

About a half hour later they stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Hey, guys." Chi-Chi greeted. "We were wondering if you were coming or not. Kakarott nearly ate all the food. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Bulma said, running her fingers through her hair self-consciously trying to smooth it out.

"They're more than fine!" Kakarott said with a chuckle.

Bulma shot him a wide-eyed look as her face turned beet red. "Really?"

Vegeta chuckled and grabbed himself a plate and began serving himself.

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes at them. "Would you like some soup, Bulma? I have some that's still warm."

"Sure, please." Bulma nodded. "Not too much though. I'm not that hungry."

"Eat, Woman." Vegeta said irritably, sitting next to her. "If you are to be carrying my heir, I expect you to be healthy. No more skipping meals."

"Yes, your highness." Bulma replied sarcastically.

Vegeta ignored her and dug into his meal as though he hadn't eaten in days.

Chi-Chi sat there and watched them in confusion. They were just so casual and nonchalant about the fact that Bulma was pregnant. If Vegeta hadn't made the comment about her carrying his heir, she would have assumed he either didn't know or was pretending it wasn't a reality. Furthermore, if she hadn't been privy to all the drama this morning and Bulma confirming it, she would have no idea. _They're so strange._ She thought to herself. "So, what's on your agenda tomorrow, you guys?" she asked.

"Not sure. I want to work the dogs for a bit early in the morning if I'm feeling up to it and then-"

"You will be doing no such thing, Woman." Vegeta interrupted her.

"Vegeta, it'll be fine." She said glaring at him. "The bite work and all the hard, physical stuff is for you guys anyway."

"Very well. But no bites!" he said glaring back at her. "I do not need you falling over and disturbing things."

"Fine!" she said, rolling her eyes. Was he going to be like this her whole pregnancy? She wondered briefly; if so, it was going to be a very long nine months. She was flattered he cared but if he thought she was just going to keep herself cooped up for nine months doing nothing, he had another thing coming. "And after that I was considering taking a look at the gravity room and see how I can do this upgrade. That is if, I'm allowed."

Vegeta glared at her, knowing she was mocking his over protectiveness now that she was pregnant. Bulma smiled at him sweetly, knowing she had annoyed him. "Very well. That would be a much better use of your time. The dogs are fine."

"I know they're fine, but just like you, Vegeta, they have to train on a regular basis. Not just whenever."

"Whatever." He sighed. "Just make sure you have time to do the gravity room." He finished while getting up, placing his plate into the sink and made his way back upstairs, most likely for a shower.

"So, he's okay with it now?" Chi-Chi asked once Vegeta was gone.

Bulma nodded. "I told you he'd come around. He's still worried, but he's fine."

"Well, I'm glad." Chi-Chi said. "This is so exciting!"

"I know! Our children will grow up to be close like Vegeta and I did. Only it'll be way better this time!" Kakarott said with a smile. "We had some pretty good times together before we were sent off. Got in a lot of trouble, but you know how it is."

Bulma and Chi-Chi giggled. "Do we ever." Bulma said. "We were like partners in crime ever since grade school."

"Yeah." Chi-Chi giggled. "Remember that one time our parents sat down and had a meeting to discuss that we weren't allowed to hang out anymore after school?"

"Oh yeah! That lasted what, like a day?" Bulma laughed. "What did we do that time? Do you even remember?"

"Yeah, a whole day." Chi-Chi nodded. "You know what; I can't remember what we did that time. It must have been bad."

"Yeah, we were pretty bad. Oh no, you know what that means?"

"What?"

"Our kids will be just as bad if not worse." Bulma said, trying to hold back a snort. "And I can imagine that you and Vegeta were no different, hey?"

"Well, we had our moments, yeah." Kakarott nodded. "Though we were usually in trouble for blowing things up around the palace. Vegeta would tell me he could blow something up and bet that I couldn't, so of course I always had to do it to prove to him that I was just as good as he was."

"What a little instigator." Bulma said shaking her head and laughing. She could so see him doing that too.

"Yeah." Kakarott said with a nod and a smile. "Vegeta's dad used to get pretty mad at us."

"I'll bet he did. He's kinda scary as it is. Never mind having two Saiyan boys wreaking havoc all over a palace." Bulma said.

"He wasn't that bad when we were really little and the queen was still around." Kakarott shrugged. "Like he was always strict and got mad when we were misbehaving; he didn't have a lot of tolerance. We always deserved to be reprimanded whenever he did though. But after his mate died, he just didn't have the patience. We would be in trouble even when we weren't doing anything bad. That's when everything went from bad to worse."

"Awe." The two girls sighed.

"What was the queen, Vegeta's mom like?" Bulma asked. "He hardly says anything about her. I'm always afraid to ask. I only know that he was devastated at her passing; he obviously never got over it or was allowed to grieve properly. He gets so upset anytime anything with regards to her is mentioned."

"Yeah, he wasn't really allowed to. Like you know, his father was always really hard on him where showing any emotions was concerned. It wasn't allowed. So, yeah. He pretty much had to tough it out on his own and then within a few weeks we were sent off into Frieza's service. They hadn't even had her funeral yet and we were gone so he missed that." Kakarott explained. "The queen was super nice; a very classy lady. I don't think she ever said anything bad about anyone. She let us get away with murder practically.

"She and my mother were close. My mother was a physician in the palace. She was helping out with her second pregnancy because she was sick a lot. When she didn't make it, the King blamed her for not doing a good enough job. That's why you never see her at the palace. She left and never came back; unless it's for a function and it can't be avoided. She and the King haven't spoken since and my father, as you know still works in the science lab and then goes home to her at night."

"Wow! I didn't know any of that!" Bulma exclaimed. "Bardock always just said she didn't like coming to the palace. Wow. Who could blame her?"

"Yeah, it was pretty ugly from what I remember." Kakarott nodded.

"At least it didn't affect your friendship with Vegeta." Chi-Chi said.

"Yeah, that's true. But my position was to be Vegeta's companion. It had nothing to do with the King or my mother or Vegeta's mother." He shrugged.

"That's true. But sometimes those things can interfere." Bulma said. "Poor Vegeta. Then you guys ended up with Frieza. I can't even imagine. I know that's one of his biggest fears with me being pregnant. It was one of the first things he thought; Frieza cannot find out."

"He's right. He can't. He would do whatever he could to use it against Vegeta." Kakarott said with a nod and a frown. "Don't worry. We've both been training hard. We should be able to take him out soon; I can feel it. I have something up my sleeve that I haven't even begun to tap into just yet. Once I figure it out, we'll both be able to do it together with no trouble. I'm sure of it."

"I hope so." Bulma sighed. "I can't even think what that would do to him if Frieza got a hold of our child. I think it would push him over the edge. As it is, he has moments where he scares me; not so much recently but when he first came here. He still hasn't shared most of what went on those eight months he was sent back. He has nightmares though. I haven't told him, but I've seen some of them. I don't know if they're just dreams or memories; but some of them are pretty disturbing."

"Oh, I can bet you that most of them actually happened" Kakaott said.

"Yeah. I haven't said anything to him because I think he'd be ashamed. He doesn't like talking about any of it and does a pretty good job blocking it; I don't think just for my sake but for his as well."

"I wouldn't bring it up. He'd just get upset." Kakarott nodded. "If he does want to talk about it one day, just let him. Who knows, he may never."

"Well, that's his choice. Either way, I'm always here for him." Bulma said with a yawn. "I'm so sorry. I feel like such a loser. I slept most the day away and I'm still exhausted."

"Get used to it." Chi-Chi said dryly.

Bulma chuckled at her friend, bid them both good night and made her way back upstairs, where Vegeta was already in bed.

She changed into a fresh pair of pyjamas and crawled in next to him. She sighed contentedly as he pulled her into his arms. "You sure you're alright with this?" she asked.

"What choice do I have?" he replied. "I know you will not give this up, and there is a part of me that wants this as well. I am only worried about what will happen to you. Not only bearing this child but afterwards. Frieza is still out there and it will not go over well when we go back to Vegeta-sei. If it were my choice, I would rather wait until everything is settled and I am king. However, it is not only my choice."

"Thank you." she said. "I know that was really hard for you and that now isn't the best time, but I can't give it up. Thank you for understanding."

"Hmmn." He replied.

"I wonder what we're going to have?" she said, more thinking out loud than anything else. Now that Vegeta had come to terms with this, she was getting excited.

"We will have a son."

"Really? How can you tell? It's still so early. I can't be any more than three or four weeks along."

"Never has a female been born in my line. Always males. So it should be the same now as it has always been." He said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hmm." She nodded. "What shall we call him? Vegeta? After his father and after your father?"

"No." he sighed. "That name has been forever tarnished. Not only with the atrocities I have committed but by my father as well. I would not burden our son with that name. This child will be the beginning of many changes yet to come for our empire. He shall have a new name; not an old one that has been passed down from several generations."

"I have an idea," she said. "Why don't we name him Trunks? After my father."

"Could do." Vegeta nodded. He didn't have a problem with it.

"We can call him Trunks Vegeta. That way it's still keeping with tradition and may offend people a little less maybe?"

"Good luck, Woman." He huffed. "My simply acknowledging and appointing him as my rightful heir and successor will offend people enough no matter what we name him. However, we may name him after your father."

"Thank you, Vegeta." She said with a smile. "I wish you could have met him. He's a genius. He and Bardock would get along. I know I'm being silly, but I'm still holding out hope he's out there somewhere."

"Actually, I have been meaning to ask you about that." Vegeta said. He had completely forgotten about her father. "When I left Vegeta-sei, I was going through your ithing out of boredom. I found footage of you and an older man presenting something."

"Oh, yeah. That was my ship that I never got to fully finish. We were presenting it to the military. You saw it in there? It's not that good. The audio is terrible."

"It is, but I am certain I have seen that man before. I assumed he was your father?"

"Yeah, that was him." She said sadly. "You saw him? Where? On Frieza's ship?"

"I am not sure." He replied. "I was going to investigate it further but ended up coming here instead of back to Frieza's ship. I am not certain but am sure I have seen him there."

"Really? What was he doing? Did you talk to him?" she said, lighting up.

"I do not know or remember. Those eight months I did not really socialize with anyone. I only recognized him when I saw him on that footage when I retrieved it from Vegeta-sei. I cannot tell you more than that." He said, wishing he could have something more concrete to tell her.

"This is great though! If he looks familiar, you probably did see him! That means he's alive and well, right?" she said quickly. "Do you know if my mother was with him? Probably not, hey?"

"I do not know." He shook his head. "If she looks anything like you, I do not want to think of her fate." He said, not wanting to get her hopes up but not wanting to disturb her with the possibilities.

"They would have put her in the harem, right?"'

He nodded. "More than likely, yes. I am sorry. I never went there so I cannot say. She would most likely have not lasted long."

Bulma didn't say anything for a few moments. She hadn't seen if they had taken her mother or not anyway. She had been with her father and had seen him taken. Before Zarbon and the others had made it to the lab, he had called her and instructed her to go and take shelter in the underground labs. He had instructed her to do so as well, but she had refused to leave her father. They had been separated immediately; she hadn't even known if her father had been on the same ship as her. For all she knew, her mother had died when they had blown up the planet. "It's okay. She would have rather died on our planet then end up there anyway."

"I can look for your father when I go back to defeat Frieza." Vegeta said. He would most likely be in the science lab; far far away from where the fighting would most likely take place.

"Would you? Thank you!" She said with a smile. "Can I come with you and look for my mother?"

"Absolutely not." He replied immediately. "I do not want you anywhere near that ship or where I am fighting. It will be too dangerous in your condition not to mention a horrible distraction to me. If I find your father, I will ask him if his woman is aboard. He would know, right?"

"He might. I don't know. You have to check the harem though. Please, Vegeta?" she pleaded. "Just check. Her name is Bunny. She's blonde. At least go and check, that's all I'll ask. Like I said, she may have died on the planet, but if you can at least check, I'd feel so much better."

"Alright, you have my word. I will go there and enquire of her." He nodded. "Just do not get your hopes up."

"I know. Thank you." She said, turning her face around and kissing his chin.

"Hmmn." He replied. "Get some sleep."

Bulma yawned and settled in. Things could not be more perfect at the moment. She and Vegeta were back together, they were going to have their first child. Her parents might be alive; even if she just got her father back, she would be thrilled. And Vegeta was nearly ready to rid the universe of the horrible tyrant responsible for any and all of their grievances. She just wished with every fiber in her being that everything would go as planned for them.

_**I will do everything in my power to make it so, woman.**_ He said to her.

_**I know you will.**_ She replied before sleep over took her.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 24**_

Bulma rolled over and heaved; her body trying to throw up. She opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. She was on a metal floor, not in her bed. She realized that her left wrist was chained to a table. She slowly sat up, fighting the waves of nausea washing through her; closing her eyes, willing herself not to be sick again.

She placed her palm on her forehead as the dizziness and nausea subsided after a moment. She looked around again, not having any idea where she was. _**Vegeta? Where are you?**_

 _ **Bulma! Where are you?**_ Came an almost frantic reply.

 _ **I don't know!**_ She thought back in a panic. _**I just woke up on what I think might be a ship? I'm chained to a table and haven't seen anyone.**_

 _ **Are you alright?**_ He asked. _**I have been unable to reach you for three days.**_

 _ **Three days?**_ She frowned. That explained why she could not throw up anything. Her system was completely empty at this point. What the hell had happened?

_**Woman, are you alright?** _

_**Yeah. I think so. I have a bit of a headache.**_ She replied. _**Aside from the morning sickness and dizziness, I'm okay, yea.**_

_**What happened, Woman?** _

_**I don't know. The last thing I remember, I was walking Aro. I ran into Yamcha and we started arguing.** _

_**So it was the weakling that has done this? I suspected as much.**_ Vegeta said angrily.

_**He wanted me to leave with him. It got ugly and Aro bit him and oh, God, Vegeta. Where's Aro? Is he alright? He tried to protect me. Yamcha stabbed him when he bit him and wouldn't release him; Aro still wouldn't let go until I told him to. I sent him home so he wouldn't get more hurt. Is he okay?** _

_**He is fine, Woman. Injured, but he will be fine.**_ He replied.

 _ **Oh good! I was so worried! I shouldn't have released him. I only did it so Yamcha wouldn't hurt him more.**_ She said sadly, though she was glad Aro was alright.

 _ **Do you know where you are headed?**_ Vegeta asked, changing the subject.

 _ **No, Vegeta. I suspect to Frieza though. I don't know how he knows where to go, but he mentioned something about my father being alive and Frieza offering me a job. That's all I can remember.**_ She said slowly, trying to remember everything clearly. _**I still feel really groggy, like I've been drugged or something.**_

 _ **Well hang in there. Kakarott is waiting on a ship. It is to be arriving sometime today. Someone took the one I arrived in. I should not have given it up so carelessly when I arrived here!**_ He raged. Unfortunately, hindsight is always fifty fifty. _ **We will be leaving as soon as that ship docks and is refueled. I will find you.**_

_**I know you will. I will try and figure out where we're headed and let you know. Be careful! This may be a trap.** _

_**I do not care. I will come for you and I will tear anyone involved with this limb for limb!** _

Bulma smiled at his determination. She could feel the rage and complete anger burning through him. _**I know you will, but don't get yourself in a huff just yet. I am fine. I haven't been hurt. I'll keep you posted on everything.**_

 _ **See that you do!**_ He replied harshly.

Bulma smiled again. She wasn't all that concerned; she knew he would find her and make things right. Her smile soon faded as she heard someone coming. _**I have to go! Someone's coming. I'll talk to you later.**_

She looked to the door and saw Yamcha standing there. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" she asked.

"Look, I know you're pissed now, but it was for your own good." Yamcha said, taking a seat across from where she was. She noticed that he was limping slightly and his right forearm was bandaged up; blood still staining through. Aro had gotten him good. Unfortunately, not good enough. _Ugh, I'm so stupid! I shouldn't have called him off. What was I thinking?_

"How do you figure that?"

"I made a deal." He shrugged, looking very pleased with himself. "I got it all thought out for the both of us. We'll both have a place. You'll be reunited with your father. This emperor Lord Frieza wants to offer you a position in his science department and a place for me as well."

"You'll be lucky if he doesn't kill you as soon as you turn me over to him! And if he doesn't, Vegeta will once he finds you. You idiot, do you have any idea what you have done?" she shouted at him, not believing his stupidity. "Do you have any idea who this Lord Frieza is?"

"Well, no. But he sounded like a nice guy. He said Vegeta is extremely dangerous and I believe him."

"Yamcha, he's the one who destroyed our planet!" she shouted. "He's the one that tried to kill me! Why? Because he is evil! He is the one who's dangerous, not Vegeta! Trust me on this, please. We have to go back. Right now. You can't take me to him, please."

"B, he employs your father. You can see him and work with him again." Yamcha replied. "I thought you'd be happy about that."

"Yamcha, my father most likely isn't employed by him, but is a slave to him. Which is exactly what I'll be if you take me there and is what will happen to you if he doesn't decide to kill you."

"It didn't sound that way to me, but if that does happen to be the case, then you'd be slaving doing something you loved rather than being a sex slave for that guy you call your husband."

"What?"

"Yeah, he told me all about that. He told me that you were Vegeta's personal concubine. That once he thought you were dead, he boasted to everyone about how easy it had been to make you think he loved you. He was going to sell you at an auction once he had gotten everything he could from you and then the ship blew up. Bulma, the guy is no good! This Lord Frieza is going to get you away from him for once and for all."

"Oh my god," she sighed in aggravation. "You don't know anything! It was Frieza who blew up the ship in the first place because, ugh, you know what? Never mind! Yamcha, please, for the love of god, just take me back. You have no idea how bad this is."

"It won't be bad, B. You'll see." Yamcha said confidently. "Just give it a chance. If you don't like it there, we'll just leave."

Bulma looked at him like he had just grown two heads. "Yamcha, it doesn't work that way! We will be stuck there, and if we try to escape he will kill us or make us wish we were dead. You really have no idea who this guy is, do you?" she said again.

"Well, I haven't met him, no. Just talked to him. He seemed really sympathetic to your situation though. So was the other guy I did meet and he got me in touch with Frieza. He also told me that you were nothing more than Vegeta's sex slave. He knew who you were and was very sympathetic for your situation. He arranged all of this with Lord Frieza to help us out. Apparently, Vegeta skipped out on an important mission so he's in big trouble; he was very happy to know of Vegeta's whereabouts and when he heard about you, he was very excited and wanted to help."

"And who was that?" Bulma asked, almost not wanting to know.

"He said his name was Captain Ginyu." Yamcha shrugged. "He overheard me venting to Krillin about Vegeta brainwashing you-"

"Yamcha, he didn't brainwash me!"

"He did, Bulma!" Yamcha argued. "He must have! I bet he didn't even tell you that he's engaged, did he?"

"He's not engaged." Bulma sighed in annoyance; closing her eyes. She was about to be hit with another wave of nausea. "His father wants him to marry this other girl. A Saiyan girl named Asia. Her father is a high ranking political figure. He has by no means accepted her though and never made plans to marry her. He has rejected her repeatedly. I know all about that."

"Is that what he told you?" Yamcha snorted.

"Umm, yeah. He and Kakarott and Kakarott's father." She replied. She didn't want to tell him about the bond. Then he would know that she could speak with Vegeta and that he would be coming for her; hopefully before they met up with Frieza. Then he would have the element of surprise where Yamcha was concerned; though he had a three day head start. It would be tricky.

"Well of course they're going to tell you that, B!" Yamcha exclaimed. "The Captain told me he would have said anything to make you believe that he loved you. He doesn't. He just used you, I'm sorry."

Bulma shook her head, she could not believe this. She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself. She was going to be sick again. "Can I have a towel?"

"A towel?" he asked with a frown. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to be sick, you idiot!" she screeched at him.

"Alright! Fine!" he said sarcastically. "Here." He said tossing one at her.

"Thank you." She whispered before she began heaving, once again nothing coming up.

"Are you alright, B?" Yamcha asked in concern.

She nodded. "It'll pass."

"It'll pass?"

"Yes. Now take me home now, please." She said once she was better.

"No, Bulma." Yamcha said shaking his head at her. "You can't go back to him."

"Yes, I have to. Why is this so difficult for you to understand? No I haven't been brainwashed. This is what I want, he is what I want. He's going to be pissed and will most likely kill you when he finds you."

"Exactly! Doesn't that tell you something? He's dangerous, B!" he objected. "He's that possessive of you? That's not healthy, Bulma. Trust me! I know you're angry now, but you'll thank me later on, I promise!"

"No, Yamcha. He's not possessive, just protective. You don't know him or anything of their race. They take protecting their mates and families very seriously." She tried to explain.

"Well, I'm taking protecting you seriously and you've done nothing but complain!" Yamcha seethed. "You seem to have forgotten everything we've ever been through. We've been given a second chance and you're so quick to throw it away for Him. I love you, B. I know I wasn't always the best guy before and that I didn't treat you as good as I should have, but I've changed. All of this has made me rethink everything!

I really do believe that you and I have a chance. Forget about everything that happened. I want a life with you."

"No, Yamcha. You don't love me." She said shaking her head at him. "I believe you thought you did, just like I thought I loved you; and I did, but so much has happened since then that made me realize that we really weren't meant for each other. I'm sorry, but we weren't. And if you really do love me like you claim you do, you'll take me back to Callisto and move on. Respect my wishes. Please."

"Bulma, at least give me a chance." He pleaded. "I do love you."

Bulma shook her head and began to wretch again. "Can you get me some water?"

Yamcha did as asked, all the while frowning at her. What was wrong with her?

"Thank you." She said, sipping it slowly. "Yamcha, please. If you do love me, please take me back."

"Back to _him_?" Yamcha spat.

Bulma nodded, trying to fight off the dizziness and nausea. "Yes."

"I don't get it! You're finally free from his control. You aren't his slave anymore now. Why would you want to go back to him? What type of control does he still have over you that you want to go back so bad?"

"I love him. And he loves me. We are married; he is my husband and my mate. I belong _with_ him. Not _to_ him; it did start out that way but it isn't that way anymore. I am not his slave. That is where I want to be. Get it? I'm sick of having this argument with you." She said angrily. "You have no idea what kind of deal you made and with whom. I have met Lord Frieza. He is a horrible individual; a tyrant, and a bully. You giving me over to him is the worst thing you could do! If for no other reason, he will want me to build weapons of destruction to further his empire, to destroy other innocent planets like ours! I will not do it. And when I refuse, he will kill me or send me to be a slave in a harem or whatever other horrible punishment he could come up with or worse yet, use me against Vegeta.

"I would rather die than let any of that happen, especially to be used as a weapon against Vegeta. I couldn't bear it. Please, trust me that I know what I am talking about. It's not too late, turn around and take me back. Please. I am begging you, Yamcha."

"I don't care about him though. I care about you. If he uses you to destroy him, then whatever. I don't care! As long as you're safe and we can be together, that's all that matters to me. You've barely known him. How can you say you love him and dismiss me?"

"I don't know how, but believe me, Yamcha. It is over between us. I know it's hard for you and I don't want to hurt you. But you need to let me go. I know you mean well and I appreciate that but you are getting us both in a heaping mess of trouble. You have to take me back to Callisto." She pleaded. She was already exhausted, but was desperate for a way out of this. She just did not know how to explain her relationship with Vegeta in a way he would understand without giving too much away. "I know you don't understand, but he does love me. If you loved me with all of the power of your soul for a whole life time, you couldn't love me as much as he does in a single day.* I don't say that to be mean or hurtful, I say it because it is the truth. Now please, take me back."

Yamcha frowned at her and looked at her for a moment. She could see how much she had hurt him just now with her statement, but maybe it was enough for him to respect her choice and take her back. Her hopes were in vain. "No. We will head on to the planet Vegas as planned, where I will meet up with this Captain Ginyu and he will take us to Lord Frieza." He said shaking his head at her. "You'll see. This is for the best. I have a good feeling."

Bulma pounded her fist into the floor in frustration. "You're a fool. And whatever happens to you, I will not feel sorry for you." She said and proceeded to throw up again.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, ignoring her. "You're never sick."

"I am pregnant, you idiot." She whispered.

"What? With _his_ cild?"

"Of course it's his, you moron! I've told you a hundred times, he's my husband! Who else's child would it be?" she raged. "Take me back!"

"I can't believe it." he said, shaking his head and pacing in front of her, making her feel nauseous again.

"Why not, you know how babies are made, don't you? I'm surprised you never made any back on Earth with your many conquests." She said sarcastically.

"That's not fair! What choice did I have?"

"You were always pressuring me to get into my pants!" she shot back. "I wasn't ready. You didn't care. I put up with your constant cheating because you kept saying you wouldn't do it again and because I was stupid! How many times did you cheat on me, Yamcha? And using the excuse that you're a guy and you need to sew your wild oats or whatever the hell your ridiculous excuses were because I didn't want to put out was just that. Bullshit."

"Well, how long were we together, Bulma? Three years? No one waits that long!"

"Yes, we were together three years and in all that time you cheated on me repeatedly." She replied. "Did it ever occur to you that every time you cheated on me, it was a setback in our relationship? Did you think that I'd just want to jump into bed with you right after finding out you'd been unfaithful yet again? Yamcha, I kept hoping you'd changed after every time. You'd tell me you'd changed and you'd go back on that the first time some hot chick walked in your direction."

"That's just an excuse and you know it." he snorted. "I don't believe you actually willingly slept with him either. They told me. You are his concubine. I'm not stupid, I know what that means."

"It was a cover." She replied. "He told everyone that so that I might be left alone."

"Uh-huh. And how long until he made you live up to this supposed cover? Either he fooled you into giving it up or he forced himself on you. Which is it? Is that why you're pregnant? Did he rape you? And now you have some sick sense of loyalty to him; some sense of Stockholm syndrome or whatever they call it."

Bulma stood up and slapped him as hard as she could. "How dare you! It was never like that. Vegeta is nothing like you! He never once forced himself on me or pressured me; quite the opposite actually. He treats me with respect; has never hurt me the way you repeatedly have. When he finds us, and I assure you he will, I won't stop him from doing whatever it is he's going to do to you. Not only have you kidnapped his mate and plotted to give her over to his greatest enemy, but by endangering me, you have endangered our unborn child and his heir. I assure you, he is beyond pissed off right now."

"Pfft. What's he going to do about it? We're three days away from Callisto. He has no idea who's taken you or where we are headed. By the time he's figured it out, we'll both be under the protection of Lord Frieza, I'm sure." Yamcha shrugged. "He doesn't seem to be very afraid of Vegeta, so guess what? I'm not worried about it."

Bulma sighed, knowing that Yamcha was probably half right; especially if Vegeta didn't get that ship today. "Well, you didn't see what he did to the last person who tried to violate me. He beat him to death. Once he's pissed off, that's it. And I won't say or do anything in your defence."

"Isn't that nice." Yamcha spat. "The girl I love forsaking me for some alien she's only known a few months. Well, you're lucky I'm so forgiving. We have a three week journey on us. It's just you and me on this ship, you'll have no choice but to remember how good we are together and hopefully by the time we make it to Vegas and see Captain Ginyu, you'll agree with me about how ridiculous you're being right now."

"No, Yamcha, I won't." She said, shaking her head and trying not to get emotional.

"Sure." He shrugged and left the room, leaving her there on her own.

Bulma leaned back against the nearest wall, brought her knees up to her chest and shook her head as she brushed away the tears that began to fall. This was an absolute disaster. _**Vegeta? Are you still there?**_

 _ **Of course I am!**_ He replied somewhat harshly.

_**We're headed to Vegas where he's meeting up with a Captain Ginyu.** _

_**I know. I heard most of your conversation with that scum.**_ He growled. _**You should not have told him of your pregnancy. He will surely tell Ginyu and then he will tell Frieza.**_

_**But Vegeta, if we're going to be on this ship three weeks and I'm throwing up every day, he'd have figured it out anyway. It's very common for human women to be sick for the first three months. As well, who knows, but I may even start showing by then. I don't really know how far along I am. It could be anywhere from four to six weeks, so by the time we make it to Vegas I'll be nine weeks at the most. That's almost three months. Chi-Chi was showing at three months, though only a little.** _

_**Hmmn.**_ He replied.

_**Vegeta, what are we going to do?** _

_**I do not know yet. Just do not start panicking; not yet. Do not give him any more information where I am concerned. Let him think what he wants with regards to us. I do not need him feeding Ginyu and Frieza anything more than you have already told him.** _

_**I know, I'm sorry. I'm rattled; I'm not feeling well and some of the things he said were so mean and I was upset. I-** _

_**I know. It does not matter** _ **what** _**he thinks. He is too stupid to listen and that will be to his detriment. So help me when I find him…** _

_**I know. Do what you want with him. I don't care.**_ She said, wiping more tears away and holding her breath to fight back another wave of nausea. _**Just please find a way to get to me before he takes me to Frieza. Or what if you and Kakarott just head over to Frieza's and meet us there?**_

_**I was considering that. I do not know where he is at the moment though. He resides on a ship.** _

_**Alright. Maybe I can find out where he is. Yamcha doesn't know of our bond or that I can speak with you. Maybe I can ask him to ask Ginyu. There has to be a way, Vegeta. And I'm sorry, I'm rambling now.** _

_**Try and get some rest. Leave the rest to me. I will find you, Woman. I promise.**_ He said, his tone softening a little. _**I will inform you the moment I leave this blasted planet!**_

_**Alright. I love you, Vegeta.** _

_**I know.**_ He replied; and after a very long pause, _**Me too.**_

Bulma smiled at him; amazed that he had said such a thing to her. He had never told her he loved her. Not verbally anyway; this was the closest he had ever come to it.

 _ **Do not be getting all sentimental and weepy! Everything will be fine.**_ He bristled back sharply.

 _ **I'm not, you jerk.**_ She said, rolling her eyes at him.

_**Just keep your emotions in check. I do not need to be distracted with your emotional outbursts every five minutes. Get some rest. I am going to find that fool, Kakarott and see what kind of progress he has made and let that harpy of a mate of his know that you are fine.** _

_**Alright. I will. Tell Chi-Chi I'm just fine and not to worry. Still love you.** _

_**Hmmn.**_ Was all he replied and he was gone.

Bulma decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet for now. She curled herself up in a ball on her side, trying to get as comfortable as she possibly could. Yamcha hadn't even left her a measly blanket or pillow! _So much for keeping the girl you're supposedly in love with at least somewhat comfortable._ She thought to herself and began to drift off into sleep. The last half hour or so had been extremely exhausting.

-0-0-0-

Yamcha sat in the pilots chair in the control room of the small ship. He couldn't believe how badly this had backfired on him. He had been hoping that once he had gotten Bulma away from that horrible Vegeta that she would have been so thankful to him. What was the deal? She didn't have to pretend to be in love with him anymore. It's not like he was here or would be near her ever again.

He had rescued her! And all the thanks he had gotten from her had been her calling him names and shouting at him. _That was so typical Bulma though._ He snorted to himself. _Always screeching at me over something. I don't even know why I even went through all the trouble!_ He thought angrily, banging his right arm on the arm rest. "Ow! Shit!" he cursed. He had forgotten about his arm.

"Stupid goddamned dog!" he muttered, unwrapping the bandage. It needed to be changed anyway. He winced as he pulled the bandage off where it was stuck to the wound; he had reopened it when he had banged it a moment ago. The dog had gotten him good. After three days it was still like a fresh wound. He most likely needed stitches. Thankfully Bulma had called him off or he didn't want to know what had happened. She had been at least that kind.

He should have been more careful…

_**Three days ago…** _

Yamcha had landed back on Callisto. Krillin had barely spoken a word to him since leaving Vegas. He disagreed vehemently on his plan and had tried to discourage him. Once he figured out that Yamcha wasn't going to change his mind on this, he hadn't had much to say to him. That suited Yamcha just fine. He wouldn't be living on Callisto anymore anyway. When would he ever run into the bald monk again anyway? He just hoped he could get to Bulma and get off the planet before he decided to "do the right thing" and warn Bulma and her so-called husband. Then the plan would be screwed! He had trained in martial arts back on Earth. He was very confident of his skills, but knew he wouldn't be able to beat Vegeta in a real physical altercation. Not after last time. There was something about that guy. He was freakishly strong.

Oh well, if everything went sideways, at least he had told that Captain Ginyu where Vegeta was. He also had Ginyu's contact information. That had to count for something, right? If Ginyu had to come here for Vgeta it would still get Bulma away from him and they could start over again either wherever this Lord Frieza happened to reside or just stay here together if she didn't want the job. He positive that she would definitely go for it once she knew her father was there.

Krillin and Yamcha parted ways without a word. Yamcha informed the dock crew that he had elsewhere he needed to be immediately; that he would be returning in an hour or two and to have the ship refuelled. No one asked any questions and proceeded as he had asked.

Yamcha went back to his home, packed a few belongings into his backpack; grabbed some medication he had acquired a few months ago to help him sleep. Since leaving Earth he had many difficulties falling asleep. He had convinced himself it was because Bulma was not with him once he had found out she was here; that it was his subconscious telling him that he needed her. There was an herbalist at the market. He didn't know what type of alien race she was but she had given him a sleep remedy that knocked you right out and it was perfect for him since it only dissolved under your tongue in seconds. He had loved it since he hated swallowing large pills; always had ever since he was young. He chuckled to himself as he realized how perfect this would be too! If she didn't come willingly with him, he would find a way to render her unconscious and then slip her one. He'd have plenty of time to get her on the ship then.

He packed away everything he thought he may need; a change of clothes for himself, some snacks and a knife just in case he needed it. He left his place and headed out towards the market. It was late afternoon/early evening, just before dinnertime. Bulma was usually there this time a day. He prayed that she was alone and that Vegeta was not with her. He seemed to like to accompany her; and if he wasn't with her she usually had at least one of her dogs with her, if not both. Maybe she'd have the puppy, then this would be easy. The Doberman couldn't weigh more than 45 to 50pounds at the most; he would be easy to overtake. He had watched her from afar a few times since his altercation with Vegeta several weeks ago. He was intense, but still an inexperienced puppy.

It was the Shepherd he worried about. That dog hated him. He didn't know why; he'd never done anything to him. He couldn't remember what type of dog it was. They didn't look like much, but he knew they weren't to be messed with. He had seen what they could do when Bulma had dragged him out to watch a few protection trials. She had wanted to compete with Cable. From what he remembered, it was the German Shepherds and whatever breed she had now that dominated everything. It hadn't been his thing, but he respected what those dogs could to. The smaller shepherd breed always scared him more than the typical German Shepherd. They were smaller, extremely fast and more agile and came across as slightly crazed to him; like they enjoyed the work just a little too much. He was very wary of that dog of hers.

Sure enough, there was Bulma. She was out walking the Shepherd but was otherwise alone, which was good. He had followed her out to a nearby field where she had begun throwing a ball for the dog.

Yamcha had taken another good look around to make sure Vegeta wasn't lurking around. Chi-Chi wasn't there either. Bonus! She could kick his ass without breaking a sweat. He waited until she tossed the ball out and the dog had taken off after it before making his move.

"Hey, Bulma." He had greeted casually.

"What do you want, Yamcha?" she had replied irritably.

"Look, before you get mad, there's something really important I need to tell you," he started, looking warily as the dog had returned with the ball; his ears already up in alert and his heckles slightly raised.

"Make it quick." She replied snippily, tossing the ball again. The dog hesitated a moment before going to retrieve the ball.

"I was on the planet Vegas and ran into someone and we got talking and you came up. It turns out that your father is alive and well working for Lord Frieza. This Lord Frieza wants to offer you a job as well." Yamcha explained quickly. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"It is. I'm glad my father is alright, though I already knew that." She replied dryly. "Thanks though."

"But B, this emperor wants you to come work for him!" Yamcha repeated. "Can you imagine? Working for an emperor! And with your father again too!"

"I already know who this Lord Frieza is and I won't be working a single minute with him. He is a horrible person. Stay away from him." She said as Aro returned again with the ball.

"What about your father though?"

Bulma sighed, she was glad to have a second confirmation that he was indeed alive. However she wasn't about to tell Yamcha that she already had a plan to rescue him when Vegeta left to confront Frieza. If he'd been in contact with Frieza, he could not be trusted. "I'm glad he's alive, but there's nothing I can do for him, Yamcha. I'm staying right here." She said, tossing the ball.

"I can't believe you!" Yamcha exclaimed. "I have a ship already refueled and ready to go for us. We can just leave now together. No one would know. Come on. You can take the dog with you too if you want."

"No, Yamcha. My place is here." She shook her head, looking at him warily. He looked nervous and agitated. It was making her uncomfortable and she suddenly didn't trust him. It was time to head back to the house. It wasn't far. Vegeta was training in the gravity simulator with Kakarott so he had his stupid wall up as per usual when he trained.

"With Him?"

Bulma nodded. "Yes. With Him."

"So you'd just ditch out on a chance to see your father again because of Him?" he asked in a shocked tone. "B, what has happened to you? What has he done to you? You're like completely brainwashed!"

"Enough, Yamcha!" she shouted at him. "I'm glad my father is alive, but I am not going to take a job from a galactic tyrant over it! Believe me; it's not as good as it sounds. Now leave me alone. Good night."

Yamcha stood there and frowned as she left him standing there. He didn't want to have to do this, but she hadn't given him any other choice. It was now or never. Who knew when he'd get another opportunity? He reached out and grabbed her; his arm locking around her neck, pulling her close to him. He hadn't thought it through quite properly and wasn't quick enough to avoid the dog, who had bitten him immediately on the thigh and was pulling him down. Fortunately, he'd grabbed more fabric than flesh so he ignored the dog, though since the dog had more fabric, he was thrashing in an effort to bring him down and he was quickly losing his balance.

Bulma elbowed him in the gut, but he ignored it, hoping she would tire quickly. After a few shots in the gut with her elbow, he had no choice but to let her go. Once he had, the dog had released him and had immediately gone right for his right forearm before he could regain his composure from Bulma elbowing him.

"Shit! Shit!" he screamed as the dog began to pull him so that he was leaning over. Try as he might to fight him off, he couldn't; the more he did, the more aggressive the dog became; thrashing and trying to pull him right down. "Bulma! Call him off! I was just kidding around!"

"Will you leave me the hell alone?" she asked.

"Yes! Get him off before he rips my arm off! Stupid psycho dog!"

"Aro. Out!" she shouted and the dog let go, however placed himself between Yamcha and Bulma. He was panting and licking the blood off his chops, watching Yamcha intently to see if he was going to try anything else almost daring him to; his ears tilted back towards Bulma waiting for her to tell him what to do.

"What the fuck, B?" he whined, looking at his mangled arm.

"You should know by now, don't do stupid things around protection dogs. How many times did Cable get pissed at you for screwing around?" she asked irritably. "What did you think you were doing?"

"I was only horsing around and your stupid dog doesn't seem to know the difference. Look what he did!" he said holding out his arm.

"Let me see." She sighed, knowing that she should really just leave. Who cares? Aro did his job. He had thought Yamcha was threatening her, reacted and took care of it the way he was supposed to. Though she did feel a slight pang of guilt. He had come here to tell her about her father and got bitten in the process. "That looks pretty bad." She murmured, looking at it. The skin was torn deep in several spots in his forearm. This wasn't only a bite; Aro had torn the flesh badly in his attempt to bring him down to ground level. She had to hide a smile in pride at what he had done. He was such a nice dog that sometimes she questioned whether or not he'd actually attack someone in a real life threatening situation. Working with him in the yard it was all for show or sport. It was a game. Some dogs didn't react in a real life situation. She was proud of him.

Yamcha watched her look at his arm. He looked at the dog, who was ready to attack again if he needed to. This time he would be ready for it though. He took advantage of her close proximity and grabbed her again with his bad arm, locking it around her neck again, ignoring the throbbing pain. As predicted, the dog went for him again at the thigh, though this time actually bit right into his thigh muscle rather than the pant leg.

Thinking quickly, he grabbed his knife out of his back pocket and stabbed the dog in the shoulder. Surprisingly, that didn't make the dog let go. It only made him go more on the defensive and pull harder on him in an effort to get him into the ground. He knew if he let that happen, he'd be screwed.

"Oh my god! What have you done?!" Bulma shrieked at him.

"Call him off, or I'll do it again." he threatened.

"Aro. Out. Go home!" she yelled at him. Aro released him and looked at her questioningly. "Good boy! Go home! Go find Vegeta! Go home!"

The dog hesitated a moment but took off down the road, despite the stab wound in his shoulder. Bulma sighed in relief. She had taught both dogs the command "Go home". Everyone had bugged her at what a useless command it was, but she was glad for it. Vegeta wasn't answering her. Now that Yamcha was severely injured in the arm and leg, he should be slowed down quite substantially. Aro would make it home and Chi-Chi would freak out seeing him wounded and covered in blood. She would get those two stupid Saiyans out of the gravity room. She was also thankful she'd had Aro with her. He was trained in tracking. Danger wasn't. She hadn't been sure how to teach him. Aro would be able to lead them to where she was.

Yamcha hit her over the head, rendering her unconscious. He laid her on the ground and examined his arm for a moment. It was badly mauled. He needed medical attention but knew he didn't have time. He grabbed some of his sleeping remedy and shoved three or four of them in her mouth. When he was sure they were dissolved and she was fine, he wrapped her up in a blanket that he'd stuffed into his back pack and began to hurry to the docking bay. It wasn't far from where he was now.

Yamcha thanked his lucky stars that there was no one there to see him. It was suppertime so most of the attendants would be grabbing dinner. He saw two of them on the other end just visiting, not paying him any attention. He quickly ran to the ship he had used earlier and placed her carefully on the floor.

He then set the coordinates on the ship for Vegas and took off without incident. Once in outer space, he relaxed. His arm and leg were really throbbing now that the adrenaline rush had passed. He knew he had to clean the wounds so they would not get infected. He went to check on Bulma. She was still out. She would be for a while. He had given her quite a bit of that stuff. He just hoped he hadn't overdone it. Usually he needed only one of them and it would knock him right out for at least twelve hours. One should have been more than enough for her since she was so much smaller than him. In his panic, he had given her at least three. That had been stupid. At least they would be far away from Callisto by the time she woke up.

He had found a pair of handcuffs on the ship on his way back. He hadn't been sure why they were there, but they were. He picked her up and moved her into the kitchen, handcuffing her to the table so she wouldn't go anywhere once she woke up. He had a feeling that until he talked some sense into her, she'd be pretty pissed off.

He took the blanket with him. He needed to make some bandages for himself and clean himself up.

_**Present day…** _

Yamcha finished cleaning and rewrapping his arm. The leg wound wasn't that bad. The dog hadn't been thrashing when he'd bit his leg. The wound was still very tender but had closed nicely. He wondered how long it would take for his arm to heal. He knew he had been extremely lucky that this had been the worst of it.

He decided to get some rest. Bulma was quiet. Maybe she had gone back to sleep. He couldn't believe she was pregnant; and with a half alien too! How disgusting! He shook his head. He would worry about all of that later on. He was just thankful that his plan had worked. In just under three weeks, everything would be set right. He and Bulma could get on with their lives the way they were supposed to.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta paced the main floor of the house on Callisto. What was taking Kakarott so long? He had gone to talk to Piccolo nearly two hours ago to see if he could find out where Frieza's ship was posted; hopefully not too far away. He wanted to get there and deal with him before the Weakling took Bulma to Ginyu and then to Frieza's ship. It seemed like the best option. There would be no way to catch up to them now; not with a three-day, at this point almost four day head start on them.

"Would please you stop pacing?" Chi-Chi said irritably. "You're making me extremely nervous. Just sit down."

Vegeta turned and glared at Chi-Chi. "Oh, I am sorry. I would not want to disturb you. However the last time I checked it was not your mate who was missing." He growled sarcastically. The harpy had been getting on his nerves the last three days. He did not understand how Kakarott could have mated with such a woman.

"I know you're upset, so am I. We all are." Chi-Chi said sympathetically. "But pacing around here and brooding isn't going to help anything. If I were you I'd get some rest or go train. Since you're so good at that." She said sarcastically with an underlying contempt.

She had blamed Vegeta for Bulma's disappearance. She had felt that if Vegeta hadn't blocked her out while he was training that she wouldn't have gone missing in the first place. However, he hadn't known that she was going out. He had assumed she was here so why would he feel the need to monitor her every second of the day? Again, if he hadn't blocked her through the bond, he'd have known she was going out. He should have still kept an eye on her especially with her being pregnant now. Why had he been so careless?

The truth of the matter was he had gotten too comfortable on this planet. There was no one here that could rival neither he nor Kakarott in their strength. He had no reason to believe that anyone would want to harm Bulma in any way here. She had survived here seven months without him around. There had never been the threat of anything according to Chi-Chi and Kakarott. Everyone loved Bulma here for her contributions to advancing the planet. The thought that someone might want to cause her harm never occurred to any of them.

He had kept a close watch on her after his altercation with the Weakling several weeks past. However he had not sensed him around, and he hadn't been seen or heard from again and so within a few weeks, Vegeta concluded that he must have gotten the message. How stupid of him to be so lax. He had blamed himself repeatedly from the moment Aro had come home with a stab wound in his shoulder.

Chi-Chi had said the poor dog was running on three legs, favoring the shoulder. It had been a very deep wound. It had been surprising he'd had the stamina to make it back to the house. He had been covered in blood, though they hadn't been clear if it was all his own or from someone he had attacked, or if Bulma had been injured and it was hers. After the initial panic, Aro had lead them out to a nearby field where Bulma usually took the dogs out for a run and ball toss. There had been some blood on the ground on the dirt road and it had been fairly fresh. Still, no one knew if it had been Bulma's or someone that Aro had bitten in an attempt to protect her. Vegeta's initial reaction had been ager towards the dog. He had voiced his concern in the beginning about a dog not being of much use and could be easily taken out but no one had listened to him. In time he had grown fond of him and had trusted him implicitly where Bulma's safety was concerned. He had failed. In becoming complacent here on this planet with a false sense of security and trusting a mere dog to keep his mate safe he realized that he had once again failed her. How could he have done that?

Now on top of his own anger towards himself, he had Kakarott's mate harassing him every spare moment she found opportunity to do so. If Kakarott hadn't been such a valuable ally, he'd have blasted the woman by now.

"I understand you blame me for Bulma's abduction." He sneered back at her. "However how is it you think I feel on the matter? Do you think I have not plagued myself over this entire scenario since it happened? I do blame myself. Immensely. You could not even begin to comprehend it. I do not need your judgement on me as well."

"Just saying, is all." She snipped back at him.

"Well, you have said enough." He growled. "You do not even understand the gravity of this situation. My mate is about to be handed over to the universe's most vicious tyrant. Someone that I do not know if I am strong enough to defeat yet even with Kakarott's help. You cannot begin to imagine what I am going through at this moment! I not only have her wellbeing to be concerned about but I also have the life of our unborn child to worry about."

"I get it, but I still don't know why you would block her out anyway." Chi-Chi argued. "Didn't you learn anything the first time that you shouldn't do that? You're not a fast learner are you?"

Vegeta took a deep breath and clenched his fists. "Just shut up." He said quietly. "You are wearing my patience thin. If you weren't Kakarott's mate, I would blast you where you stand. Now leave it alone!"

"Whatever." Chi-Chi shrugged, still angry with him over this situation. It was his fault.

There was a knock on the door. Vegeta went and answered it immediately. In front of him stood a very short bald man, much shorter than even he himself was.

"Umm, hey, Vegeta? Is it?" Krillin said sheepishly as the angry Prince opened the door and glared at him. They hadn't officially met yet, but he had heard enough about him that he was certainly frightened of him.

"What do you want?" he growled, crossing his arms.

"I couldn't help but hear at the market place that something happened to Bulma." He said nervously.

"What of it?" Vegeta asked harshly. "Have you any useful information? If not I suggest you leave and mind your own damned business."

"Umm, well, I know who took her and where she's headed, sir."

Vegeta threw his head back and laughed. "I already know all of that. I am waiting on a ship. As soon as it arrives I will be leaving. However, how did you come to know of it?" he asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, Yamcha and I went to Vegas and he got talking to some purple guy who called himself Captain Ginyu. He wanted to know where you were and was very interested in Bulma when she was brought up. This guy then called his employer who he called Lord Frieza and this Frieza asked that Yamcha bring her to Vegas because he wants you to return to him or something because you skipped out on a mission?" Krillin explained, stuttering throughout his story as he watched Vegeta's features darken.

Vegeta picked up the small man by the front of his shirt and hauled him up against the wall so that they were eye level. "Why did you not come forward with this until now?"

"Umm, because. Because I didn't think Yamcha would actually go through with it." Krillin said nervously. "I tried to talk him out of it the whole way back, honest! I wanted no part in it. I even left him at the restaurant with that Ginyu guy while they made more plans. I swear I didn't want any part in it, I like Bulma she's a nice girl. I don't want any harm to come to her. I only heard today that she'd been missing."

"And even if you thought that low born scum hadn't had the balls to attempt what he has, you do not think a warning would have been nice?" Vegeta shouted at him. "I only found out hours ago where she is through our bond! Had you come forward with this say when you landed or the next day, I might have been able to prevent it or get a ship sooner!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Krillin cried, wincing as Vegeta shook him and banged him against the wall several times.

"Vegeta, enough!" Chi-Chi hollered at him. "Seriously, be thankful he thought enough of Bulma to come tell us even this much! Now let him go!"

Vegeta turned and glared at her a moment before letting go of Krillin, who dropped to the ground with a loud thud. "Why do I constantly surround myself with idiots!" he shouted, heading outside before he decided to hurt anyone. The need to kill someone or something at that moment becoming very apparent.

He walked out around the front of the house and headed up the street. He was only a few feet away from the house when he noticed Aro gimping along with him. "Go home, dog." He growled at him. Aro sat next to him and looked up at him. "Go home!" he said again, pointing to the house and continued his angry walk up the street. He sighed in frustration as Aro continued to walk beside him. He just wanted to be left alone, was that such a bad thing?

"Alright, fine." He mumbled. "You can come along, but keep up! I will not be waiting around for your gimped ass should you fall behind."

They made their way together in silence up the street to the field that Bulma usually took the dogs to. He had gone there several times in the last few days; he didn't know why. It wasn't like it would help anything anyway. Waiting here wouldn't bring her back.

He looked down at Aro, who was sitting in the spot where the blood had been; his ears and head down, but looking up at Vegeta as though he had done something wrong. Vegeta scowled at him. "It is not your fault." He said, walking up to the dog and scratching him on the head. "Though you're probably the only one who really understands how I feel. This is my fault, not yours. You did your job.

"Though if I do have room for complaint it is to never listen to that fool woman again." he said. "I am sure you did not make it easy for that cowardly son of a bitch. The only way for him to win was to injure you though the Woman said she sent you away. Next time, you are to ignore her and do your worst."

Aro was still looking at him. "And look what I am reduced to; talking to a stupid dog. Pathetic." He muttered and continued walking up the road in an angry huff; Aro walking beside him offering silent company that he did appreciate, though would never admit it to anyone.

-0-0-0-

"Sorry about that, he's just an asshole sometimes." Chi-Chi said to Krillin after Vegeta stormed out.

"It's alright. He's probably worried sick." Krillin shrugged.

"He is and he blames himself, as well he should!" Chi-Chi grumbled. "Would you like anything? Kakarott is out on a meeting with Piccolo and he and Vegeta are waiting on a ship then they will go after Bulma."

"No, I'm alright." Krillin said shaking his head. "I just came to tell you guys is all. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I just really didn't think Yamcha would go through with it is all, I honestly didn't. Now I feel responsible. I should have done more to discourage him."

"It's not your fault."

"I know it isn't, but I was there when he started making a deal with those guys. I left because I wanted no part in it. I disagreed with it right from the beginning. I thought Yamcha was a nice guy until recently."

"He's always been a loser." Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "I think he just can't deal with it that she's over him. Like they broke up tons before and he'd pester her until she finally gave in and took him back. That's how it always was but now she isn't and I think he just can't deal with it but this is just crossing the line. Vegeta's going to kill him. You know that, right?"

Krillin nodded. "I kinda figured that. Though I don't really blame him."

"I'm not kidding. Yamcha is a dead man." Chi-Chi said seriously.

"Hey, guys!" Kakarott greeted walking into the house. "Hey, Krillin! How's it going?"

"Good, Kakarott." Krillin nodded.

"So? Any luck?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Yes. Piccolo knows where Frieza's ship is. It's actually looking like it's headed towards Vegas. It's almost there. He must not want to waste any time where Bulma is concerned. So our best bet would be to head to Vegas. That's three weeks away. They have three days on us. The only thing we don't know is how long Frieza will stay there. He may leave once they arrive. So, Piccolo showed me how to track Frieza's ship on a frequency that shouldn't be able to be traced by him."

"That's good! Any word on the ship?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Yeah. It just arrived about a half hour ago. It's being refueled and then we can go anytime we want. We could probably leave now if we wanted to." Kakarott nodded. "Where's Vegeta?"

"Off brooding somewhere feeling sorry for himself." Chi-Chi said, rolling her eyes. "He nearly shook poor Krillin to death earlier."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Krillin said.

"The hell it wasn't!" Chi-Chi argued.

"Whoa, what happened?" Kakarott said, putting up his hands.

"I kind of upset him I think." Krillin said. "I knew this was going to happen with Bulma. I was with Yamcha when he made the plans and I should have come here as soon as we landed and said something. I didn't because I didn't think Yamcha would actually go through with it. I only heard about it a little while ago in the market. I came to tell him what I knew in case he didn't already know what had happened to her and he got angry."

"Yeah. And he threw poor Krillin up against the wall." Chi-Chi said.

"Okay." Kakarott nodded. "Thank you, Krillin for letting us know, but I kinda agree with Vegeta, you should have let us know sooner. Now Yamcha has a three day head start on us. But whatever, thanks for letting us know. Don't worry about Vegeta, he gets that way when he's upset. Don't take it personally."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't blame the guy. I'd be mad at me too. Is there any way I can help?" Krillin asked.

"Absolutely not! You`ll just get in our way." Vegeta growled behind them, standing in the open doorway.

"Hey, Vegeta! We can leave anytime now." Kakarott said cheerfully.

"Excellent. Let's go."

"Can't we get something to eat first?"

"No!" Vegeta bellowed as he headed out. "I already packed my things away. I am ready to leave with or without you."

"Alright, I'm coming." Kakarott said dejectedly.

"Here, I made a bunch of stuff for you guys to take." Chi-Chi said, handing Kakarott two baskets worth of food.

"Awesome! Thanks Chi-Chi!" Kakarott beamed.

"Do you have your good armor, clown?" Vegeta asked.

"Yeah, I packed it in a capsule."

"Good. You're going to need it. Let's go." Vegeta said, leaving without another word and blasting off into the sky.

"Be careful." Chi-Chi said, giving him a hug. "Make sure you come back to me."

"Don't worry, Chi-Chi. Vegeta and I will be just fine. It'll be like old times again! I've been spoiling for a good battle for a while now. I'll be fine. We've both been training really hard and I have no doubt that we're ready. Besides, we live for this kinda thing." He said hugging her back.

"You guys sure you don't want me to tag along?" Krillin asked.

"Nah, You're better off staying here, Krillin. I appreciate the thought, but I'm afraid Vegeta is right on this one. This will be dangerous. Keep an eye on Chi-Chi for me, will ya?" Kakarott said, heading out.

"Sure thing." Krillin nodded, watching as his friend took off into the sky after Vegeta.

"I do hope they'll be careful." Chi-Chi said, watching her mate leave.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Krillin shrugged, though he really had no idea just what they were going to be facing.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta was already inside the ship, strapped in and ready to go once Kakarott had arrived. He waited for Kakarott to shut the door and took off almost immediately.

"Did the Namek find out where Lord Frieza is?"

"He's almost to Vegas. So we might as well just head there." He replied rifling through one of the baskets Chi-Chi had given him.

"Hmmn. Alright." He said, setting the coordinates and leaning back in his seat, trying to get comfortable. _**Woman, I am coming for you. Hang tight.**_


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Use of bad language in this chapter… And some rather is disturbing innuendos and dark themes Nothing graphic though… But come on, It's Frieza. He's a prick. He'll get an ass kicking sooner or later…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 25**_

It had been three weeks since Bulma had been abducted. Three long, miserable weeks. Yamcha refused to see reason and take her back. He had given up trying to argue with her and get her to see things his way. The only time he spoke with her now was to hand her some food and take her to the washroom twice a day. She hadn't showered since the day she had been taken; she felt completely disgusting and dirty. She had been throwing up so much; she had vomit dried on different parts of her shirt when she couldn't sit up fast enough, making her feel even worse. Never in her life had she been so filthy!

Bulma had tried to gain the upper hand a few times, attacking him in hopes of subduing him and take control of the ship and head back home to Vegeta, but due to her lack of nutrition and sickness from her pregnancy, she had lacked the strength to be able to do it. She had failed miserably. Now she was only allotted two bathroom breaks a day and now sat in despair. Vegeta had advised her to save her strength and not fight Yamcha on anything. He did not want her getting herself hurt. As it was, the stress was not good for her. He did not want her putting herself out especially since he assumed the worst was yet to come. Who knew what Lord Frieza had in store? They both only agreed that it would not be anything good.

The closer their arrival to Vegas and meeting up with this Captain Ginyu, the more her anxiety rose. What didn't help was she was also feeding off Vegeta's anxiety and worry as well. As hard as it was, she was ever thankful for their bond. Without it, she assumed they would both have gone crazy from the fear of the unknown. They both took turns comforting one another and building each other up when the other felt beyond defeated. They vented together; consoled each other.

Her morning sickness still wasn't getting any better. She just hoped it would quit soon. On the other hand, it gave her some comfort that the baby must be fine if she was still having morning sickness. That was how she chose to look at it. She estimated she was probably around 8 or 9 weeks at the most. She wasn't showing yet, which she was thankful for. Although it did alarm her a tad; she had lost a lot of weight these past three weeks. Her pants barely fit and the t-shirt that had fit snuggly before, accentuating her sleek toned body now hung shapelessly off her form. She had been throwing up more than she had been given to eat. Yamcha claimed he hadn't thought about restocking the ship; only thought of fuel, so everything was severely rationed.

"We'll be landing in an hour, B." Yamcha said, walking into the small kitchen area, leaning against the wall, keeping a safe distance from her.

Bulma nodded, not wanting to say anything to him. She still could not believe he had done this to her.

"Look, I know this has been a rough trip for the both of us. I was hoping-"

"A rough trip "for the both of us"?! Yamcha, you've kept me chained to a table for three weeks, giving me barely enough food and water to survive on and allow me two washroom breaks a day!" she shouted at him. "I am still having morning sickness, I am frightened and pregnant and you treat me worse than a dog. Yet you say you do this because you love me. Please, you said we have an hour. Please take me back. It isn't too late!" she begged, hoping to try at least one more time.

 _ **Yes, it is.**_ She heard Vegeta growl. _**I will rip his head off the second I see him.**_

_**Shut up, Vegeta. I know. I've heard you say that like a million times. Do you really think I'm going to tell him that?** _

_**Hmmmn.**_ He growled back at her.

"No. We're going to do this." He said calmly, shaking his head. "We're going to do this, and you'll see that this was a great idea all along. You'll thank me for getting you back to your dad and back in the lab. I've even given it careful consideration and I've accepted the fact that you're pregnant. I know it's not mine and that sucks, but I'll love it like it was my own. We can always try for-"

"Yamcha, shut up." She sighed, closing her eyes tightly; wishing so badly that once she opened them again, she would be back at home, in her bed and in the warm protective embrace of Vegeta's arms.

 _ **Soon, Woman. Soon.**_ He said soothingly to her. Bulma swallowed back the lump in her throat and willed the tears away that she felt trying to fall. She did not want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

She took a deep breath and looked at him. "Yamcha, even if by some miracle I did decide I wanted to be with you and you did decide to step in as a substitute father for my baby, Vegeta knows I am pregnant. He wants this baby just as much as I do. He will come after you and take his child. It's his heir. Do you even understand that? He is a Prince of a very powerful race. You didn't just kidnap me from some normal average guy. He will travel halfway across the galaxy to find me if he has to. You are making a huge mistake."

"Well, I'm travelling halfway across the galaxy to keep you safe and make a good life for you and all you've done is shout at me and attack me." He said dejectedly. "I know if you just give this a chance, you'll love it and you'll see that I have changed."

"I don't care if you've changed!" she snapped, and then sighed when she noticed the hurt look he gave her. "Look, I'm glad you've changed. So have I. Go back to that nice girl you met on Callisto. From what I can remember, she adored you. Why not make it work with her?"

"Because she isn't you." Yamcha said. "Why do you think I went for her in the first place? She reminded me so much of you. I thought you were dead. I figured she was the next closest thing to you I would ever find."

Bulma blinked at him, not sure if she should take that as a compliment or an insult. The girl was one of the stupidest people she had never met. Aside from the fact that they both had blue hair and a nice figure, that's where their similarities began and ended. "Alright. Thank you, Yamcha. So then you can somewhat understand then why I don't want to be with you. You're not Him."

"Oh, so it's okay for you to get what you want but for me to not get what I want?"

"No. But we can't always get what we want, Yamcha." She sighed. "Why would you want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with you? That girl obviously wants to be with you. Give her a chance."

Yamcha thought about that for a moment and was about to say something when he heard a beeping in the control room. "Hang on. Someone's calling me." He said, leaving.

_**What is going on?** _

_**I don't know. Someone's calling him.**_ She replied, straining her ears to try and pick up something. _**I can't hear his conversation. Oh, Vegeta. What if this is it?**_

 _ **Relax, Woman.**_ He said calmly. _**We have the bond, remember? I am with you. I will not shut you out. Whatever happens, I will see it through with you until I can get you out of there. You will not be alone and it will only be temporary.**_

Bulma nodded, trying to keep herself from crying. She noticed how easily she cried now. She almost never cried. Her hormones were a mess. She had even put up a wall herself a few times to keep Vegeta out during some of her melt downs. She knew how much he hated it when she cried. She didn't want to subject him to that every time she felt the need to have an emotional breakdown; and that had been frequently these past few weeks. She was thankful she had not been pregnant when they had been separated those eight months. She had cried about the horribleness of that situation a few times at the beginning but for the most part had kept her head and emotions under control. Right now as the days went by, she was finding it harder and harder to hold herself together; and knowing that she wasn't herself at the moment and at the mercy of hormonal urges and mood swings tended to only frustrate her more and send her into another fit of tears in her effort to not give into it.

 _ **Do not keep me out.**_ He said firmly to her, obviously picking up on her thoughts of shame for being so emotionally weak right now.

_**But I am so pathetic right now. I'm sorry.** _

_**That may be, but this is not a normal circumstance. I would rather be privy to your emotional outbursts right now than not know at all what is happening. I may get annoyed but I would rather know than not know.**_ He paused for a long moment before adding; _**Do not do to me what I did to you.**_

 _ **I won't.**_ She said. _**I know it's selfish, but I need you too much. I can't do this on my own.**_

_**You will not be alone.** _

_**I'm so scared, Vegeta. What if you don't make it in time? What if-** _

_**Woman, stop your panicking.**_ He said rather harshly; a stark contrast to his soothing tone only moments ago. _**I will be there. He is more interested in me than you; you are just an added bonus, another way to hurt me. He most likely will not do anything to you until I arrive. I am almost positive. Do not show him any fear but do not show him any defiance. Be completely neutral. He will more than likely taunt you rather than lay a hand on you. He will wait until I am there. Be strong and wait for me. You can do this. You are my mate. You carry the heir to my throne. I have full confidence in you.**_

 _ **I hope so.**_ She said, nearly succumbing to a new wave of emotion. He had so much confidence in her and he was so sure they would both be fine. She did not want to disappoint him.

_**You won't.** _

_**But what if I do? What if I say something stupid? I don't want him to hurt you.** _

_**It is too late. By having you in his possession, he will be hurting me and he will use you to the fullest advantage he can. You see now why I said attachments are dangerous?** _

Bulma nodded. _**I know.**_ She said feeling extremely guilty. _**Are you sure you're ready to face him?**_

_**Reasonably. Why?** _

She paused for a long moment. She had pulled herself together for the moment; taking a break from the self pity party she had been throwing herself. This wasn't only happening to her and it wasn't only her at risk. _**I told you this a long time ago and don't take this the wrong way, but if you don't think you are ready, don't come. I could not bear it if something happened to you.**_

 _ **Woman, I am coming for you either way!**_ He growled. _**Between Kakarott and I, I am sure we will come out on top. Do not doubt me.**_

_**I don't, Vegeta. I don't doubt you; I just don't want anything to happen to you is all. I love you. If you need more time, take it. I'm afraid, but I'll figure it out.** _

_**I know. I will be careful and all of this will be over soon.** _

_**He's coming back, Vegeta.**_ She said as she heard footsteps.

"So it looks like we won't even have to land in Vegas." Yamcha said. "This Lord Frieza is already waiting for us and I just have to dock this ship onto his. I can even see it from my window. It's huge, B!"

"Great." Bulma replied with no enthusiasm.

"I just spoke with him. He's very excited to meet with you."

"I'm sure he is." She said blandly.

"Lighten up, B." Yamcha said with a frown. "This guy is going to help us."

"Uh huh." Bulma nodded. "Sure. Tell me to lighten up. You are turning me over to the most evil galactic tyrant in the universe and you want me to lighten up. Yamcha, this guy all on his own makes Darth Vader and the Emperor look like Barney and friends!"

Yamcha chuckled. "I'm sure it's not that bad. You're over exaggerating and are only seeing what Vegeta wanted you to see. Frieza's so nice. He's been so gracious and eager to help. That doesn't sound like a bad guy to me."

"Of course he's nice!" Bulma chuckled sarcastically. "He wants me to help build weapons and then use me against Vegeta! He's getting exactly what he wants out of this little bargain of yours! Just wait. Once we are there and settled, you'll see how nice he really is and I'll be standing there telling you "I told you so!" You're an idiot!"

Yamcha just shook his head at her. "I've never known you to be so negative. Bulma. That guy really changed you and not for the better."

"Whatever, Yamcha." She snapped, tired of talking with him. It only made her angrier and feel more helpless in this situation.

Eventually, Yamcha left her. He went and took a shower, changed his clothes and by that time, the ship was close enough to be docked onto Frieza's.

Bulma felt like she was going to be sick. Her stomach was in knots, despite Vegeta's comforting presence in her mind. They hadn't spoken, but they didn't need to.

Bulma picked herself up off the floor and steadied herself; she felt so weak. She ran her fingers through her short greasy hair in an attempt to straighten it out. It had grown in a bit, she noticed absent mindedly. She felt Vegeta smirk at the thought; he had really missed her long hair.

"Let's go, B." Yamcha said, walking up to her once the ship was docked. "Please don't attack me, alright?"

 _ **Do not fight him. Just go along with him. Save your energy.**_ Vegeta counseled.

 _ **I know. There's nowhere to go anyway.**_ She said dejectedly. _**I couldn't anyway. I'm too worn down.**_

She felt him growl at the thought that she hadn't been properly taken care of. "I won't. What's the point?"

"See, B? I knew you'd get used to this idea." Yamcha said cheerfully, undoing the cuff on her wrist.

She didn't say anything to him, just walked with him out of their very small ship onto Frieza's massive ship. They were greeted by a large purple monster.

"So nice to see you again." it said to Bulma. She vaguely remembered seeing him at the banquet when she had performed but she couldn't remember actually meeting him. She just nodded at him.

"This is Captain Ginyu, Bulma." Yamcha said. "He was the one that hooked me up with Lord Frieza and he really wanted to help us out."

Bulma nodded and didn't miss the gleeful look of the Captain. He was obviously thinking what she was at that moment: What a gullible fool!

"Right this way, Yamcha. Lord Frieza asked me to escort you and the lovely lady Bulma to his throne room." Ginyu said, beckoning for them to follow him.

They followed him down the hall to where Bulma assumed was the front of the ship, possibly? She took in the scenery. Everything was grey, bland and cold looking. No color at all whatsoever. No plants or wall paintings or ornaments anywhere; just grey. She wondered briefly where Vegeta had stayed. _**Down below. In the barracks.**_ He replied.

It didn't take them long to make it to Frieza's supposed throne room. Ginyu opened the large grey doors and let them in ahead of himself.

"Lord Frieza, this is the lady Bulma and Yamcha." Ginyu said.

Frieza turned around from the large window in his room that he had been looking out of and looked at them. A syrupy smile etched on his face that made Bulma's skin crawl. "Greetings." He said, walking closer to them, meeting them half way. His arms crossed behind his back and his long tail twitching in amusement behind him. "I cannot express how glad I was to know that you were safe from harm, my dear. It plagued me for weeks knowing that you had been killed. It had not been my intention."

Bulma nodded. She wanted to shout at him that he was full of shit. It had been his every intention to have her killed, but she still heard Vegeta's words in the back of her mind to remain neutral and so that was what she would do. Though she already wanted to scream and shout at the repulsive lizard Lord and he had only just greeted her.

"I am to understand that your father is Trunks Briefs?" Frieza asked.

"He is." She nodded.

"Well, now that is most wonderful news. I had no idea when I first met you all of those months ago as Prince Vegeta's personal concubine that you were indeed more than just a pretty face. Zarbon was to retrieve you as well. I had heard of your accomplishments as well as your father's and coveted your skills as well but have made due with just your father and another highly talented scientist from your planet. How Zarbon managed to lose you on his mission is a mystery however as you well know, he is not around anymore." Frieza said looking her over. "Though you are a far cry from the beauty I met all those months ago on Vegeta-sei. I must say you look absolutely haggard. Did this gentleman not take care of you at all on your journey?"

Bulma shrugged. "He kidnapped me and chained me to a table for these past few weeks. What can I say?"

"B!" Yamcha exclaimed. "Umm. Lord Frieza, Sir." He stuttered bowing and saluting the Lizard Lord like a fool, unsure of what kind of respect to show this creature. "She attacked me. So I left her. I didn't know what else to do since she wasn't cooperative."

"You expect me to believe that you could not handle this small slip of a girl?" Frieza asked Yamcha coolly looking at him.

"It wasn't my fault. She had this dog and it tore open my arm and leg when I tried to get her to leave with me. My leg is alright but my arm is still screwed." Yamcha objected.

"I see." Lord Frieza said, looking at the bandaged arm of the young man. "I am most thankful you brought her here, but I did tell you that she was a very valuable commodity. You bring her back here filthy, withered away and raggled like this. I find that disconcerting. My dear, when was the last time you had a shower or something decent to eat?"

"Three weeks." Bulma replied.

"I see." Frieza nodded. "I will see to it you are fed and bathed immediately. I need you to be in top form before I will discuss the reason you are here. As it is, I cannot stand the stench that commands your mere presence. You have one hour. Captain Ginyu will escort you to your private living quarters. Everything you need should be there already and a meal will be brought to you immediately. We will continue our discussion then."

Yamcha nudged her with his elbow. "I told you he was nice." He whispered.

"As for you." Frieza said pointedly at Yamcha. "I am insulted you would present this wonderful, talented and beautiful young woman to me in such a state."

"But, I told you, it wasn't my fault. If she hadn't-"

"I do not care." Frieza cut him off in a bored tone. "The state she is in at the moment is unacceptable for a retrieval mission of this caliber. She is most valuable to me for many reasons yet you have discarded her as though she is unimportant. I need her well and healthy for what I have planned."

Bulma felt her stomach drop. What did he have planned for her? _**Do not panic, Woman. Not yet.**_

"I'm sorry, sir." Yamcha said, looking at the floor. "I meant no disrespect."

"I am most disappointed." Frieza said. He paused for a long moment, seemingly in deep thought. "Ginyu, take the girl to her quarters so that she may freshen up a bit. Ensure a meal is provided for her and then escort this young man down to the harem."

"What? Oh, no. Lord Frieza." Yamcha said shaking his head. "I'm not interested. Thank you though. Bulma and I are a couple. We used to be and now that she's away from Vegeta we are going to resume our relationship. But thank you anyway." He said graciously.

"You are very welcome. You are indeed a very handsome young man. I am afraid though whether you are interested or not plays very little into the equation." Frieza said, looking him over. "There is such a shortage of males in the harem. I have no doubt you will fit right in."

Bulma gasped, realizing just then what Frieza was getting at.

"Really, I'm flattered my Lord, but I must respectfully decline."

"You idiot!" Bulma whispered at him.

Frieza smirked at Bulma. "I am glad you are flattered. You will be most popular. I am afraid the option to decline is not available. You see, you work for me now."

"I know and I am so thankful you are offering me a position, but I am not interested in visiting the harem at this time."

"Who said anything about visiting?" Frieza asked, feigning actual confusion. "I promised you a position on my ship and there you have it."

"Wait, what?" Yamcha asked dumbly. "No, I thought you meant…"

"Meant what? To reward you for your efforts and part in this brilliant turn of events?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my, my boy. Heavens No." Frieza replied shaking his head. "I am thankful for your delivering the girl here. She is fundamental in my plan to destroy Prince Vegeta. It will be simply glorious and I thank you for that, however I am not happy with the state at which you presented her to me. You wanted a position on my ship. I see that you are not even capable of caring for one of your own. The only opening I have at the moment for someone such as yourself is in the harem. I am a lizard of my word. You kept your end of the bargain somewhat and I have kept mine. Be thankful you are still breathing. I have killed loyal soldiers for so much less. Many of them would have been most happy to have a job in the harem instead of dying like insects."

"What? No. You can't do that!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"I assure you, I can. Do not worry, you'll be fine. Impress me and maybe I will find someplace else for you."

"No, please!" Yamcha pleaded. "B, tell him! Tell him I can't do that. I can't!"

Bulma stood there and looked at him blankly. She then shrugged and shook her head. "What do you want me to say, Yamcha?"

"That I can work with you in the lab. I know I'm not super smart like you but I can help." He said almost frantically. "Please?"

She sighed. She really wanted nothing more to do with him ever again, never mind even see him again but what Lord Frieza had purposed was beyond horrible. Even Yamcha didn't deserve that. "Lord Frieza, may I request Yamcha's aid in my work? I will take full responsibility for him."

"Hmmm." Frieza said, pondering the possibility. "No. I cannot trust him to even look after someone I told him was extremely valuable. How could I trust him in anything else? I am afraid I must regretfully decline your request my dear. Ginyu, take them both to their destinations."

"What! No!" Yamcha cried as Ginyu cuffed him. He left Bulma un-cuffed and she followed them out. "Bulma, you have to get me out of there!" he whispered frantically to her.

"I'm sorry, Yamcha. I really am." She said. "But remember about an hour ago what I said to you?"

"No, what?"

"I hate to say it and it came a lot sooner than I thought, but I told you so." She said.

Yamcha frowned and looked at the floor. Why hadn't he listened to her? Maybe she had been right in her desperation to get him to change his course. This wasn't at all what he had thought would happen. "Hey, Captain Ginyu, you'll put in a good word for me and help get me out of here, right?"

"Kid, you work for Lord Frieza now. I work for him. Whatever he says goes. Leave it at that. Don't worry though, I frequent the harem a couple of times a week. They haven't had someone like you there. We can have some fun together." He said winking at the young man.

Yamcha turned white and for a moment Bulma thought he was going to cry. _**Serves him right!**_ She heard Vegeta laughing. If she could have seen him, he would probably have been doubled over. He had been laughing the moment he had heard Frieza tell him his new job would be in the harem.

 _ **Alright, Vegeta. Enough.**_ Bulma scolded him. _**It could very easily have been my fate. Could be still.**_

_**Not likely. Not before I get there anyway. I cannot get over this. This is hilarious, Woman.** _

_**If you say so.**_ She sighed. _**Look, What Yamcha did was wrong. But I don't wish this on him. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.**_

_**You are a better person than I am, Woman. I say good riddance. Hope he enjoys his time there. He will be easy for me to find once I am finished dealing with Frieza. I have to stop that way anyway to look for your mother. I can blast him on my way out.** _

_**No, Vegeta. Just leave him be. Let him find his own way out.**_ She said.

_**Why?** _

_**Because what's going to happen to him is horrible and no matter what he has done, I still don't wish it on him. If he makes it through, just leave him alone, please.** _

_**Hmmmn. Never leave a wounded animal behind.** _

_**I know, Vegeta. Just… Let it go. Please? For me. He'll have suffered more than enough by then. Just him knowing that I was right, even right now at this moment and nothing has happened to yet, is good enough for me.** _

_**Whatever. We'll see how charitable I feel when I am finished with Lord Frieza.** _

They made it down to a hallway with many doors. Ginyu punched in a code and the door opened.

"This is where you will stay. Someone will bring you food." Ginyu said. "I will be back in one hour to take you back to Lord Frieza. Make sure you're ready." He said, leaving.

"Bulma! I'm sorry!" Yamcha said.

The door closed behind her before she had a chance to respond, leaving her all alone. She hadn't even had the chance to say good bye to Yamcha. The thought of that bothered her. She felt a weave of annoyance from Vegeta. _**I'm sorry; I'm just not wired that way to hate someone.**_

 _**Someone that has endangered you and our unborn child. Someone that has possibly endangered your mate should I fail** _ _**in defeating Frieza. Someone who refused to listen while you repeatedly begged him to turn his course. Someone who treated you worse than an animal these past three weeks; bad enough that even Lord Frieza was repulsed. Now that in itself is saying something and it is a good thing I am not there to see you for myself. If you can be so quick to be forgiving over all of that, then Woman, you are weaker than I thought.** _

_**Vegeta, forgiveness isn't a weakness.** _

_**It is when you forgive someone who does not deserve it.** _

_**Alright, but Vegeta, he didn't know what he was getting into. He's just an idiot.** _

_**Idiocy does not excuse ones actions!**_ Vegeta replied irritably. _**How many times did you tell him that making a deal with Lord Frieza was a bad idea? How many times did you beg him to turn around and bring you back. Hmm? He has no excuse. Now enough about the Weakling; hurry up and shower and get something to eat. Do not piss Frieza off by delaying. This situation is bad enough as it is.**_

Bulma nodded, examining the key pad at the door. She punched in the key code Ginyu had entered to open the door when they had arrived, but it did not open. _**You will not be able to open it.**_ Vegeta said.

_**Then why is there a key pad in here?** _

_**How should I know? Most of them cannot be opened from the inside out. They are holding cells.** _

_**You could open yours though?** _

_**Yes, but I was stationed in the barracks. You are most likely in the prison.** _

_**What was your code?** _

_**1408.** _

Bulma typed that into the key pad and sighed when nothing happened.

_**I told you. Now get going! Lord Frieza does not like to be kept waiting! And remember, do not mouth him off no matter how tempting that may be. Do not give him a reason to decide to hurt you or make him feel you need to be brought in line. Do not talk too much but do not talk too little.** _

_**Oh, that's helpful, Vegeta. Thanks.** _

_**Just play it by ear. Do not say anything without thinking first. You're smart. Figure it out on your own. I can only help you so much.**_ He bristled. _**I will be here.**_ He added softly after a moment.

Bulma nodded and went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower. As Frieza had said, everything she'd need was there: soap, shampoo, towels. Even a toothbrush and toothpaste was there! It was just small. A standing-room only shower stall, toilet and small sink with a vanity. Very basic, but she couldn't remember being more happy for a washroom in her life! She went straight to brushing her teeth before doing anything else while she let the hot water run in the shower, making the tiny washroom feel like a sauna.

When she was done brushing her teeth and washing her face, she took off her dirty clothes. Uh, they _did_ stink. She observed, throwing them down on the floor. She looked at herself in the small mirror. Wow had she lost a lot of weight in the last three weeks. She placed her hand on her stomach. It looked to be swelled just a tiny tad, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the baby or because her lack of nutrition. It could be either or. She figured it was because of not eating. It was still very early on to be showing.

 _ **A Saiyan brat is going to be much larger than a human brat; and you are not much thicker than a twig, so you may be showing already.**_ She heard Vegeta say. She pondered that a moment and then went into the shower, relishing the feel of the hot water pounding on her skin. It was absolutely glorious!

Bulma exited the small washroom and walked into the attached bedroom. She was more than a little irked when she noticed that someone had brought her food and a change of clothes while she had been in the shower. She dismissed the creepiness and put on the clothes left for her; a shot pair of black pants that came to her calves and fit rather snuggly in the bum and a white kimono-style top that was a tad on the baggy side, but better than nothing. They had even left her a pair of cheap rubber flip flops by the door.

She sat down and looked at her meal. It didn't look appetizing at all and other than rice, she had no idea what any of it was.

 _ **Just eat it.**_ Vegeta huffed.

_**But I don't know what it is.** _

_**I do not care! Just eat it. Everything is cooked. Most of it you do not want to know what it is but it is all protein based and good for you. It is what they feed the soldiers. None of them die from it.** _

_**Yeah, but I'm not an alien.** _

_**Technically you are.**_ He deadpanned. _**Now stop you simpering and wining and eat up!**_

Bulma sighed petulantly and ate her meal. It wasn't that bad. It was more the texture of it that she had issue with. She hated lumpy slimy food. It made her gag. She hadn't realized how hungry she actually was until she started eating; she finished quickly. She wasn't finished five minutes and the door opened, revealing Captain Ginyu. _**God! Don't these guys know how to knock?!**_

_**Get used to it.** _

"You're ready to go?" The Captain barked at her.

Bulma nodded. They left her quarters and she followed him silently down the hallway until they made it back to the large room. Frieza's throne room.

"Thank you Captain Ginyu." Frieza said to him. "Now leave us."

Captain Ginuy bowed and exited the room without a word.

"Ah, much better, my dear. A vast improvement indeed." He said to her, looking her over. "Though I can still smell that wretched monkey Prince all over you." He said, curling his lip in distaste. He walked over to her slowly, analyzing her. "Tell me, how did you manage to survive? I blew that ship to smithereens in an effort to teach Vegeta a lesson. You probably do not understand. You see, I needed Vegeta undistracted and unattached. He is not free to give himself to another. Not without my permission. And I am not alluding to the fact that he was promised to another; someone more worthy of his attentions than yourself I might add. However, I would have never allowed that union either. Vegeta is not his own person. I have had to remind him of that so many times over the years. I do get tired of having to punish him. I destroyed that ship and with it assumed I had rid him of your distraction. I must say, he fell into line beautifully after that.

"Yet I find you are still alive and well and my favorite new General left me to go after you. I have spent years conditioning and grooming him to work at my right hand; to be loyal to me and only me. You can imagine my shock and disappointment when I found out he was none other than with you."

Bulma stood there and watched the Lizard Lord carefully as he calmly circled her. He was making her extremely uncomfortable. She felt as though he was undressing her with his eyes.

"How did you survive, my dear?" he asked her again, standing in front of her so close she had to fight the urge to take a step back since he was invading her personal space. It was creeping her out, but she assumed that he was merely playing with her; trying to see how much she would put up with. She was extremely uncomfortable but she wasn't going to give him the benefit of showing him how much. Not yet anyway.

"I, umm. The ship was on autopilot and I took an escape pod immediately when I took off. Before the ship was blown." She said, trying to keep herself neutral and the fear out of her voice.

"I see. Clever girl." He nodded. "And Kakarott?"

 _Oh, shit. He knows._ She thought to herself. "Kakarott was with me too. Yes."

Frieza simply nodded and continued to walk around her again, slowly. What was he doing? She wondered. It was as though he were sizing her up. But why? _**Show no fear. He can smell it and he gets off on it.**_ Vegeta said softly, though she heard the underlying tension in his voice.

_**What am I supposed to do?** _

_**Just stand your ground; like you already are. Answer his questions but do not give out too much information. You are doing just fine.** _

"You are simply exquisite," He said behind her, standing so close to her again that she could feel his breath on the back of her neck; she fought the urge to shudder in disgust at his close proximity. "I can see why he likes you. Though I do not understand why he would take you as a mate. You are weak and frail. Tell me, has he hurt you while he fucks you?"

Bulma shook her head, succumbing to fear and started shaking. "No." she said once she found her voice. "Never."

"Never?" he repeated, sounding surprised. He came back in front of her and looked at her again for a long moment. He looked at the scar on her neck and said nothing. After another few uncomfortable silent moments which felt like hours to Bulma he abruptly walked back to the end of the room where there was food and some wine. He didn't say anything. He poured himself a large glass of wine and sipped it slowly. "Oh, I am so sorry, where are my manners. Please, help yourself my dear." He said, gesturing to the table. "Would you like a glass of wine?"

"No, thank you." She said.

Frieza walked back to her slowly. "So, I see he has marked you. That means it's serious between you two then." He stated. "Did he ever tell you what happened to the last girl he developed an infatuation with?"

Bulma shook her head. She knew. She had heard about it, but not from Vegeta. "I don't want to know."

"Oh, so he keeps secrets from you. I wonder, has he filled you in on how much he enjoys his tail being caressed? It is as though he cannot help himself. I will give you a piece of advice for the next time the two of you are intimate, if such a time ever happens again. Break some of the bones in his tail and then softly caress it afterwards. I can speak from experience, he loves that."

"You're sick." She whispered angrily.

"Am I?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "Have him show you through your bond or whatever it is those Saiyans do. I think you would find it very enlightening."

She shook her head. "No. I could never hurt him or exploit him that way."

"He'll thank you for it, my dear. It is one thing to catch a Saiyan Prince and quite another to keep him." Frieza said smugly.

"I'll take my chances." Bulma said. She was way beyond disgusted at this point. _**Woman, I never shared any of that with you because I did not want you to know.**_

_**I'm not disgusted with you. It's him! I don't want to know! How could he do that to someone?** _

"Suit yourself. I was only trying to help." Frieza shrugged, taking much joy in the look of horror on her face. "Are you talking to him right now through the supposed mental link? Is he on his way? Is he denying what he and I have shared together?"

_**You tell him I will be there in three fucking days!** _

"He says he will be here in three days."

"I see." Frieza said. "I knew he would come for you. Though three days is barely enough time to get done what I need to do. My dear, I am afraid we will have to cut our little visit short. We can compare our notes about our unique escapades with the young Prince later. I am simply dying to hear of your experiences with him. That will have to wait though, unfortunately."

"Oh, pitty." Bulma said sarcastically.

"Now now. I am sure there is much we can both learn from each other." Frieza chuckled. He walked up to her again and looked at the scar on her neck. "This will have to go. I am afraid you work for me now. Not him. I will take you now to the good doctor. You will meet him and reunite with your father. You will help me whether you like it or not.

"Help you with what?" she asked, not wanting to know. And who was this other doctor?

"I have them working on something very special. It will seal my position forever as ruler of this universe. With you helping out, it will be finished much sooner than anticipated. I am most thrilled, actually. Come with me."

Bulma said nothing and followed him; her stomach in knots. The joy of idea of seeing her father again eclipsed by the feeling of impending doom.

He took her into an elevator and downstairs a few levels. He was still staring at her in an odd manor as though trying to figure her out. She wished he'd stop it. It was only creeping her out more. The elevator finally came to a stop. She was about to exit through the open doors when he took her arm and pulled her close to him.

"There is something about you," He said, forcing her into backing herself up against one of the elevator walls. "It has been picking at me from the moment you have arrived."

Bulma swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. She had no idea what he was getting at either.

He took a hand and touched the side of her face almost lovingly. It took everything inside her to not flinch away. He ran his hand down her neck, fingering the scar on her neck for a moment. _**Oh, god, Vegeta. What is he doing? I can't do this!**_

 _ **Remain calm.**_ He replied, though his thoughts and feelings and the tone of his voice was anything but calm. _**Do not show him you are afraid.**_

_**But I am! I'm terrified!** _

_**Do not think about it. Just keep calm. I am here.** _

He slid his hand slowly down her side, not touching her breast at all, which she was thankful for but it confused her. What the hell was he doing? Was he coming on to her or what? She just wished whatever it was he would hurry up and get it over and done with.

His hand finally came to a stop on her abdomen. He pressed it flat and looked at her. _**He knows. Vegeta he knows I'm pregnant. He figured it out.**_

"That's it." He said. "That's what it was. You are carrying a Saiyan brat in your womb."

"How did you know?" she asked calmly, not knowing if she should be relieved or still panicking. She was more than relieved he wasn't going to rape her but would he hurt her baby?

"I could smell it." He said disdainfully. "Does our dear Prince Vegeta know that he is going to be a father?"

Bulma nodded.

"How wonderful and truly interesting." He said gleefully, his hand still on her stomach; the longer he lingered the more uncomfortable she became. "Normally I would have been repulsed by such a discovery. What a waste that Vegeta would procreate with someone as weak as you. But from what I can tell, this will be a very strong child. And with you in my possession, that means it will be My child. I can groom him and shape him any which way I desire and succeed with him where I indeed failed with Vegeta."

"What? No." Bulma said. "I won't let you do that." _**Relax, Woman. It will never happen. I will see to that. If everything goes as planned, Frieza will be dead before the child is even born.**_

_**When does anything go as planned for us, Vegeta? It doesn't!** _

_**Calm yourself, Woman.** _

_**Calm myself? Vegeta, do you not get what he wants to do? He wants to raise our child and turn him into a monster! How can I stay calm?** _

_**Because it means that he wants this child for himself. Neither of you are in no immediate danger. I would have thought he would want to destroy it. That he isn't, is very surprising but to our advantage. You will both be fine until I get there. Then all of this will be over soon. I promise you.** _

"I am afraid the decision is not yours to make, my dear. This is wonderful news indeed! I have not had news this good since the day I heard you lived and Vegeta was with you. This situation just keeps getting better and better." He said, turning around and exiting the elevator. "Come with me."

She followed him out. Her stomach was still in knots. It didn't matter what Vegeta said, she was absolutely terrified; for their child, for him, for herself. It was becoming more and more apparent to her that Vegeta had better have a good plan when he gets here or they would all be done for.

_**Frieza doesn't seem at all concerned about your arrival… You have that to your advantage. I think he underestimates you.** _

_**He does not know of my ascension. Keep it that way, Woman.** _

"Have a seat here, Ms. Briefs. I will collect your father." Frieza said, gesturing to a small chair in the large lab. Wow! If she had been impressed with Bardock's lab, she never would be again. This was amazing and put that lab to shame.

"Ms. Briefs, your father?" she heard Frieza from behind her. She turned around and there stood her father. He looked exactly the same as he had the last time she saw him. He looked healthy and well. She was going to run over to him and give him a large hug, only something about him wasn't right.

"Dad?" she said. She walked cautiously around to meet him. "Daddy? Are you alright?"

He looked blankly at her, barely acknowledging her presence. "I am fine, dear. Nice to see you."

"I'm so relieved you're alright! Is Momma here too?"

"I don't know." He replied.

She frowned at him. He seemed so indifferent! "What did you guys do to him?" she asked Frieza. "He's like a robot! That's not my father!"

"Oh, I can assure you, he is very much your father. Somewhere in there." Frieza replied blandly. "It's a small side effect I am afraid. Something the good Doctor needs to remedy."

"Side effect to what? What did you guys do to him?"

"It is complicated. You will find out soon enough." Frieza replied. "Do not worry yourself about it. I will leave you two now for your little reunion." He said, leaving the lab and punching in a code, she presumed, locking it.

"Dad." She said, looking at her father again. She felt crushed. "What have they done to you?"

Her father looked at her a moment and then looked to the door Frieza had just left. He walked back to the door to the other lab and took a look through the window. He then walked back up to his daughter and gave her a hug. "My girl, I am so happy you're safe. Or you were. I'm so glad to see you but you need to get out of here!"

"Dad! Are you alright? What was that all about?" she asked. She was so confused! It took her a moment, but she hugged him back as hard as she could.

"I am fine." He said. "Look, there is not much time. I am sure he will be back any minute. They want us to build a massive weapon and cloaking device. I have been intentionally stalling on it as best as I can for several months now. They will force you to work on it too. When he comes back they will more than likely go straight to trying to brainwash you; wiping out everything. All your memories of who you are. All they want is your genius; they will remove everything but that. They tried to do it to me. They succeeded somewhat and there is a lot I do not remember. I act that way so they do not decide to hook me up again while I find a way out of here."

"Oh my god." She said, covering her mouth trying to hold back tears.

"You'll just have to fight it. Don't let them win. Don't let them in. Anything that is important to you, don't think about it. They will use it against you and you will forget it." He whispered almost frantically. "I can barely remember your mother." He said, looking down ashamed at the floor and she could tell he was trying not to cry.

"It's okay Dad. It's not your fault." She said, hugging him again. "We'll be out of here soon, I hope. Someone is coming for me right now. His name is Vegeta. This is a lot to take in and not the way I had hoped to tell you, but the long and the short of it is, we are married. He's a great guy and cares a lot about me. He comes off as cranky, but when he comes if I am not here for any reason or if I fail and they brainwash me, go with him. He's going to look for Mum too."

"I don't know where she is, dear or if she survived."

"I know. But before all of this, he agreed to at least check around for her."

"That would be nice." He said with a small smile. "Huh, my baby girl is married and I missed it?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry! It kinda just happened," she said, still trying not to cry herself. "But he found me after the planet was destroyed and rescued me and has kept me safe until now. That I'm here isn't his fault. I love him so much, Dad and I can't wait for you to meet him and I'll tell you everything later on, I promise!" she said, deciding to leave out her pregnancy for the moment. There were other things she needed to find out right now.

"As long as you love him and he is good to you then that is all that matters to me."

"Thanks, Dad! Hey, who's this "Good Doctor" Frieza keeps mentioning?" she asked not wanting to change the subject but with the paranoid way her father kept looking around, she had a feeling he was right, they did not have a lot of time.

"Remember that crazy Dr. Gero?" her father asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Vaguely, yea." She nodded. "Wasn't he disbarred for violating ethics codes or something? I thought he put himself into exile. Wasn't he like a hermit in the mountains or something?"

"Yes, that's it." Her father nodded. "He is the one. They came to Earth for him. Somehow our names were thrown into the mix and so, here I am and now you too. He is in charge here of everything. He developed the tool they use to brainwash people. There are a few other brilliant minds here from other planets he has done this to as well. Dear, it is a painful grueling horrible thing to go through. They literally probe into your mind. It is horrible! If I could think of a way to spare you, I would but I don't know how."

Bulma nodded. "Don't. You'll blow your cover and then what will we do if we're both lost? I will try my best. Vegeta will be here soon. Three days he thinks. I'm sure I'll be okay by then."

"You must! Or you will lose yourself." He said frantically. "There is so much I cannot remember about our lives. This machine, it probes into your mind and they pick out events in your life and simply erase them. It's like a lobotomy only worse. I'd hate to have that happen to you. You need to find a way to put up a wall and keep safe everything you hold dear to you or you will lose it. I figured that out too late I'm afraid and now many cherished memories are gone."

"I think I can do that." She murmured. This was bad. Very bad. "Dad, if Vegeta comes and I forget everything, just do what he says; you can trust him. He's like my height. Really muscular. Has thick black hair that stands straight up. Ummm. He has thick black eyebrows and always looks angry. Don't take it personally, he always looks that way. Don't be afraid of him, he's going to be really pissed off and bossy when he comes here, so just ignore that. You'll get to know him. He's actually a really decent guy once you get to know him."

Her father looked blankly at her. "I know, that all sounds really bad. But I'm in a hurry. Trust me. He'll act like an ass but he loves me more than you can understand, Dad. He means well. He was taken by Lord Frieza as a child slave and Frieza did all sorts of horrible things to him. Lord Frieza knows that Vegeta cares about me, so that's why I'm here. Just as a means to hurt Vegeta. That I'm a genius is just an added bonus to him."

Her father shook his head. "That lizard is a despicable monster."

"I know." She nodded. She looked in panic as she heard a key code being entered into the door.

"Just tell them I wouldn't shut up about the cloaking device and that Gero is a genius." Her father said quickly before he let that bored, bland look on his face take over again.

"Well, how was your little reunion?" Frieza asked her.

"It was fine except my father doesn't know how to talk about anything but Dr. Gero and a cloaking device." She said angrily.

"Oh, so you found out who my amazing Doctor is. He is simply brilliant! He isn't as brilliant as your father, mind you, but your father did not wish to cooperate. Dr. Gero has means of getting people to cooperate." Frieza shrugged.

"Well, I'll cooperate. Whatever you want, I'll do it. Just leave my head alone. You obviously did something to him!" Bulma said quickly. She didn't want them poking around in her head. She wondered how that would affect her bond with Vegeta just then.

"Oh, I'm afraid you have no choice. You see whether you want to cooperate or not, I will be letting Dr. Gero have his fun with you. How wonderful would it be to have Vegeta arrive here and have you not remember a single thing of him?" Frieza said with a sick smile. "I think it would be glorious. I can just see the look on his face now. We will have to get started on this immediately; especially if he is to be arriving here in three days. I have a feeling you'll not be easy to crack." He added, gesturing to a few of the others there and began escorting her to another room.

"No, you can't do that." She whispered in horror. "Please. He's all I have left."

"Now that's not true, my dear. You have your father here. Somewhat. And you'll be giving birth to a child. And you'll have your brilliant mind as well. I heard about your potential. Vegeta was extremely upset when he had thought you killed. He had mentioned you to be a genius upon epic proportions."

"He was merely exaggerating. I'm really not that special. You're going to be disappointed."

"That's not what my good friend Doctor Gero has told me. He says you have the potential to become even greater than your father." He said, looking at her with a cocky grin. "It matters little to me. Whether you're a genius or a simple common whore, I am having your mind wiped so that you remember nothing of Vegeta. Once he sees that you have completely forgotten him, he will have no choice but to fall into line. If you do not turn out to be the genius I have heard so much about he can visit you in the harem if he's a good little monkey and if you manage to last longer than a few days."

"He's going to kill you, you know." Bulma said, not hiding any of her distaste for him.

"Yeah, yeah. I have heard that one before." Frieza said, rolling his eyes. "You know, he said he was going to kill me the day I blew up the ship. All it got him was a rather severe beating. He was sorely out classed. It was somewhat amusing, but if it helps him to think he has a chance, then so be it. I do like to play every once in a while."

Frieza opened another lab door and lead them into a small room with a bed that looked like it belonged in a psych ward and lots of computer equipment. "Dr. Gero, this is Ms. Briefs." He said gesturing to her. "She needs a treatment so to say."

_**Oh god… Vegeta?** _

_**Hmmn?** _

_**Did you get all that just now?** _

_**No. I thought I would give you some privacy where your father was concerned. Kakarott and I were trying to figure out where Frieza's ship is headed. We are having a hard time locking onto it again and it's moved. Why? What has happened?** _

_**Ugh! Of all the times for you to not be paying attention! I don't have time. Look, just get here fast. Come get my father, Trunks Briefs. I told him about you-** _

_**Slow down, Woman!** _

_**Vegeta, I don't have time! I have to put up a wall between us now. Please hurry, get here fast! I don't know how long-** _

_**No! Do not block me out! Why are you panicking?** _

_**Because, Vegeta! Just listen. Get here as fast as you can! Come get my father and me. I don't know what's going to happen. I'll do my best but if I fail, I love you! No matter what they tell you or what I say when you find me, I love you.** _

_**Wait! Fail at what? What is happening?** _

_**They want to brainwash me so I don't remember you when you come here. Frieza said something earlier about three days being not enough time to do what he wanted so there's hope if you hurry! My father said I have to put up a wall to not forget. He's lost a lot already. Vegeta, I'll do my best. To keep them out but that means I have to keep you out as well.** _

_**No, Do not do that!** _

_**What choice do I have? My father said they will erase every memory I have if I do not put up a wall. Vegeta, he can barely remember my mother. I don't want that to happen!** _

_**Woman, it can't. We share a bond. A bond that cannot be broken; hell even I could not fully sever it. Do not block me out. I will help you through this.** _

_**No, Vegeta. This is different. It's evil. I know of this Doctor. He is nuts. He is deranged. Trust me, if he can find anything in my mind pertaining to you, he'll erase it. They're hooking me up right now.** _

_**So fight them off, Woman!** _

_**I can't! There's like five of them here and Lord Frieza. I can't do anything.** _

_**For fuck sake!** _

_**I'm sorry! Just get here. I love you! I'll get in touch with you as soon as I can okay? I gotta go!** _

_**No! Do not put up a wall, Bulma.** _

_**Yes, Vegeta! What if this thing affects you too since we're connected? Just come find me. If the bond works, you'll find me. I'll fight it off as best I can. The only way I can think of is by putting up a wall and blocking out everyone and everything. Trust me. If I thought there was another way, I'd do that. If I figure out another way, I'll let you know. Oh god. I gotta go. Now.** _

_**Do not lose yourself, Woman. I am coming. Stay strong.** _

_**I won't. I know and I will. I love you.**_ There was a long pause. Bulma wasn't even sure if he was still there or not. She assumed he was still there; she felt his anger and anxiety over this whole situation. They were approaching her with a needle with what she assumed was some sort of sedative. Why hadn't he said anything back?

She felt the heaviness of the sedative taking over and began to panic. How could she put up a wall and protect herself and their bond if she was sedated? She wished he would say just one more thing; one last word of encouragement or tell her he loved her. Something. He had been so amazing these past three weeks they had been separated and she knew she was being stupid at the moment, but she needed it. Even if this was the only time he actually ever said it. She felt herself beginning to slip out of consciousness. Her last thought to him being: _**I'll see you when I see you. I love you Vegeta!**_

-0-0-0-

Vegeta sat on the passenger side in the cockpit of the small ship they had taken. His face was drawn into a deep frown. His jaw set tightly. Kakarott could see his right eye twitching and a vein beginning to pop out on his forehead. That couldn't be good news.

"What is it, Vegeta?" he asked, concerned with his Prince's abrupt change in demeanor. "Vegeta. Is Bulma alright?"

"I do not know." He replied; his voice so low that Kakarott could barely hear him.

"Well what happened?"

"I do not know because you asked me to help you with the damned navigation device!"

"You said she was fine and talking with her father!" Kakarott objected. "That was like five minutes ago! What could have happened in that time?"

"Something about a deranged doctor being able to wipe her memory or brainwash her or something before I get there." He replied, clenching his fists.

"Well how are they going to do that?"

"How the hell should I know?" he snapped. "They're hooking her up now and because of something her father said she has decided the best way to fight it is to put up a mental wall."

"Well, that should help then, right? I mean if she's able to block everything and everyone out, that's a good thing. Right?"

"I hope so." He replied, still scowling. "We have to hurry."

"Well, I'm doing the best I can. Unfortunately, Frieza's ship has changed its course and his ship is a lot faster than our ship. Unless it stops, it could be a while before we'll be able to catch up to it. The good news is that wherever it goes, we can follow now."

Vegeta sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had felt her fear and panic minutes ago. He had wanted to reassure her, but how could he? He didn't know anything about whatever it was they were doing to her. He didn't know what to say to her. He hadn't missed her disappointment at him not telling her he loved her back. He didn't know why he hadn't said it back to her. Now he was wishing he had.

He went through their conversation again in his mind. He thought of what she had said, her frantic tone, and the panic at this damnable situation. How many times had she told him she loved him in the last few minutes? Five, six times? He hadn't returned the sentiment. He caught her disappointment just before she told him she loved him again and put up her wall. It was bothering him now. He should have told her he loved her back. Why hadn't he? She had obviously needed to hear it. Sure he thought it was silly; he knew she knew how deeply he felt for her so he hadn't thought to return the sentiment; he felt he shouldn't have to. Now it was nagging at him that he hadn't. What if they succeeded and she forgot him completely?

He dismissed the ridiculousness of that, got up out of his seat and headed to his small room. He decided the best thing he could do was meditate. See if he could pick up on anything of what they were doing to her or find out if there was some way he could help her through this. He sat there for hours and couldn't pick up anything from her. All he got was an extreme headache.

They kept track of Frieza's ship and continued to follow it. Three days had come and gone, and much to Vegeta's irritation they weren't any closer to catching up to Frieza's ship. Three days had turned into a week. A week had turned into two weeks. Vegeta tried relentlessly to get a hold of Bulma through their bond and the more he tried, the harder it seemed to be and the worse of a headache he seemed to get. He hoped she was alright and had been able to keep them from wiping her memory. He really wasn't sure what he would do if they succeeded. He only hoped with every fiber of his being that she was strong enough to fight it until he got there.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Foul language and adult themes...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 26**_

Dr. Gero made his way to Lord Frieza's throne room. It had been a grueling two weeks. He had lost a lot of time on his other projects however, that had been alright. Now that he was finished manipulating Bulma's mind, she would be able to help out and they would be caught up in no time at all.

"Dr. Gero, what a surprise. How are things progressing with Ms. Briefs?" Frieza greeted. "Are you still having issues with her? I hate to admit it, but I am very impressed with her resilience to your device. I don't think it's ever taken you this long to wipe someone."

"Well, due to the many complications, I had to go a much different route than we had both originally intended. However, I do believe you will be thrilled with the results." Dr. Gero said, walking up closer to the lizard Lord. He had an evil glint in his eye that intrigued Frieza.

"Alright, do tell."

"Well, it did not seem to matter what I did, Miss Briefs attachment and bond to the Saiyan Prince was very strong; much deeper than anticipated. I have never seen anything like it, my Lord." He explained.

"Alright. So what did you do?"

"Well, I came across many memories of them both. Good and bad. It took a lot of time, but I was able to erase many of the more memorable pleasant memories in her mind and enhanced the negative ones and dwelled more on them." The doctor explained excitedly. "You see, not everything was perfect between those two. I found that Vegeta was not the perfect husband to her. In fact, I found out that all of those months that he was here and she alive, he hurt her deeply by ignoring and severing that bond. I focused mainly on that. I found a few other things as well; some of it quite interesting. I also took the liberty of going through your old archives and shared many of the details of Vegeta's missions with her. I found the video footage to be quite effective."

"Alright. The result being?"

"I have effectively turned her against him, my Lord." He revealed with a sinister smile.

Frieza sat there a moment considering this information. "I wanted her to have no recollection of him at all, whatsoever so that when he gets here, she won't know who he is."

"I understand that, Lord Frieza but I was having no success with that. I needed to dig deeper to accomplish that and was afraid of wiping her of everything, her genius included. By doing it the way I did, I was able to salvage her genius and make her hate him."

"Hmmm. The result could be quite interesting." He said, watching his wine swirl in his glass. "Indeed, this might even be better. My only concern is if she remembers him, will the result be permanent. What you are telling me is they still have bond. Therefore he could win her back."

"I find that highly unlikely. You see I believe I have severed most of it. There is enough there that you could use her to control him. She wants nothing to do with him. However if there is still a bond left, he may think he has a chance to win her back." Gero said. "You could threaten him into submission. Her life in exchange that he does as you ask. From what I understand from my research of the Saiyan bond that if one mate dies, the other follows. Therefore, by leaving it still intact, he is still in a way dependant on her and you can use this to your advantage."

"Alright. I do agree; this will prove useful and more devastating to Vegeta in the long run. I fear that he may be able to reverse it through the bond. He has his own memories as well. He could share them with her and gain her favor once more. Then all of this would be useless."

"I disagree. Go and talk to her yourself, my Lord" Gero said with a chuckle. "I have convinced her that he used her. He took advantage of her in order to gain her knowledge and use her brilliance to help his cause. I showed her through different video footage in your own archives what Vegeta is capable of."

"And what of the child she carries? She will know that he is the father. She would have to have some sentiments over that."

"That is another thing I found in the depths of her mind. Vegeta was not happy with the news initially and wished for her to terminate the pregnancy."

"Really? And he is now?"

"From what I found, yes. He could not deny her despite his reservations that she may not be able to carry a Saiyan baby full term." Gero nodded.

"You are quite sure on this?"

"I am positive. My reminding her and bringing those memories to the surface helped much in swaying her opinion that Vegeta is indeed dangerous and no good for her. I assured her that You're interests were in keeping both her and her unborn child safe from any harm where Vegeta is concerned." Gero laughed. "I have convinced her that you are a friend and not the enemy Vegeta has led her to believe you to be."

"Excellent, my dear Doctor." Frieza commended him. "You are positive he will not be able to reverse this?"

"One hundred percent." Ger nodded. "And if worst comes to worst, I can always do it again and reinforce it."

Frieza nodded, a crafty smile forming on his lips. "She is a smart little thing, Gero. Are you certain she is not acting?"

"Quite, my Lord. I gave her no reprieve whatsoever." Gero replied confidently.

"Excellent. I will trust your professional opinion. Now, when will she be ready to start work in the lab?"

"Tomorrow morning, my Lord. I have left her to rest the rest of this day. By tomorrow she should be able."

"Very good, my Doctor. You are dismissed." Frieza said, waving him away in dismissal. Dr. Gero bowed and walked out of his throne room. This was an interesting development and may work more to his advantage than he had initially thought! _Vegeta will be completely crushed and devastated when he finds this out!_ He thought gleefully. He will have him fully under control now, having Bulma and if he believes he has a chance at gaining her affections, he would not do anything to jeopardize her or their unborn child's life.

This would be absolutely stupendous indeed! Now he only had to figure out a way to convince him that she was completely on his side. A small sign from the woman that it was over between them. Something that would prove her disloyal to Vegeta just to further drive the point into him. He sat there a moment in deep thought. An idea came to him. It would be beneficial in keeping him both under control and crushing his hope that the woman may come back to him. It was risky, may put the woman in danger, but it was worth the risk. Frieza had a feeling that Vegeta would never raise a hand against her. Yes, that is exactly what he would do. He would go and visit her first thing in the morning and start on the preparations.

He smiled and called the ship's pilot. "Yes. Stop the ship please. Ensure that it remains stationary. Any unknown passing ships that wish to board give them permission. Yes. I am expecting someone. Thank you."

Now all he had to do was wait. He knew Vegeta was on his way. He had told the woman that he was three days away. That had been two weeks ago, however his ship was much faster than most small ships so Vegeta was more than likely still at least three days away. No matter, it would give him more time to strategize. He could not wait!

The next day, Frieza headed down to the lab to see for himself what Dr. Gero had accomplished. He was pleased to see her hard at work already in the lab beside her father and a few of the universes other genius minds he had acquired.

"My my, hard at work at such an early hour, my dear? I am impressed." He said.

Bulma looked up at him. "My Lord. It was my understanding that this was an urgent project."

"And it is, my dear. However, I have something else that will require your immediate attention." Frieza said. "Please, come with me and I will explain what it is I need you to do. Time is of the essence. I expect Prince Vegeta to be arriving soon."

"Whatever you need, my Lord." She answered with a blank look on her face.

"And how do you feel about that, my dear?"

"About what, my Lord?"

"About Prince Vegeta's impending arrival."

"I feel nothing, my Lord." She answered indifferently. "If I feel anything at all, I only wish to not see him."

"Really?" Frieza asked with a chuckle and glancing at Dr. Gero. "And why is that?"

"I just don't want to see him. Dr. Gero showed me what he's really like. He hid a lot of things from me. He tricked me and took advantage of me. I was stupid to trust him, to hand over my affections to him." she said angrily.

"I see. You know he's coming here to take you back with him don't you?"

"I would much rather stay here with my father than go back to him." she shrugged.

"You carry his child" Frieza pointed out.

"Unfortunately. A result of my own stupidity." She said, rolling her eyes. "I chose to give myself over to the wrong person. I do not want him influencing my child. This child is all I have left. I will protect it at all costs."

"The choice wasn't yours, my dear. I'm afraid he merely manipulated you into feeling as though you did have a choice, my poor girl." Frieza replied sympathetically. "You were purchased as a bed slave. Vegeta boasted to all of us that he merely played you and your affections so as to have a willing bed partner. Once he had gotten his fill of you he sent you away and blew up his own ship."

"I thought you had blown it up." She asked with a frown.

"Is that Vegeta told you?" Frieza asked, feigning shock at the accusation.

Bulma nodded.

"Oh, no, my dear. I was there and witnessed the whole thing. Vegeta blew it up because you were of no use to him anymore. And why else do you think he ignored you all that time? He was ashamed of the bond he accidentally created with you."

Bulma frowned and blinked back tears in an attempt to keep them from falling. She was so confused! She didn't know how long she'd been here but she had a massive headache! She couldn't remember anything. What she did remember was losing her family and planet and Vegeta abandoning her. Now she was pregnant and Frieza had reunited her with her father. That was what she knew.

"Oh, please do not cry, my dear. I will see to it that nothing befalls you or that of your unborn child." Frieza said kindly to her. "If you help me now you will help me to enslave Vegeta and you and your child are more than welcome to stay here. I will protect you from him, my dear."

Bulma nodded. "What will you have me do?"

-0-0-0-

In the meantime, Dr. Briefs watched and listened carefully to this exchange. He hadn't had the chance to speak with his daughter, but knew they had done a number on her. She had been isolated for two weeks. He hadn't had the opportunity to check in on her or give her any sort of reprieve. All he knew was when she had emerged yesterday she was confused and angry. She had been happy to see him but seemingly had missed their initial exchange two weeks ago.

Dr. Briefs watched as Lord Frieza escorted hi daughter to another lab. He wasn't sure what he was up to, but assumed it was no good. He only hoped this husband of hers, Vegeta, showed up soon. Maybe he could clarify a few things and get them out of here. After all, his daughter before all of this trusted him, had told him that if this happened to her to trust Vegeta. Dr. Briefs wasn't sure if he could be trusted; not now after hearing the horrible things Lord Frieza had just told her. He wasn't sure if they were true or not. Either way, he was going to take a gamble that this Prince Vegeta would be the lesser of the two evils at the moment. If he was coming for his daughter to get her out of here, that was good enough for him at the moment.

_**FOUR DAYS LATER…** _

It had taken Vegeta and Kakarott four days to catch up to Frieza's ship. They figured he was waiting for him. He had known that Vegeta was headed his way. So why had he taken off and then stopped? Vegeta assumed that it had to do with whatever it was that they were doing to Bulma. He hoped she was alright. He hadn't been able to contact her at all whatsoever since their last conversation and it was driving him nuts not knowing what had happened.

They docked their small ship onto Frieza's with no issue. No one questioned them or their intentions, duration of their stay or anything, which made Vegeta immediately suspicious. He had a very bad feeling they were both walking into a trap. Fortunately, Frieza didn't know Kakarott was with him; and if he did, he had no idea how much Kakarott had improved since he'd seen him last. As much as Vegeta hated to admit it, Kakarott wasn't that far behind him.

Vegeta and Kakarott headed to the lab, again, without incident. Vegeta assumed Bulma would be there. If she wasn't, her father would most likely be there and she had said in their frantic last conversation that she had told him about him and that he was expecting him. They walked into the lab and looked around. There weren't many present, which again, put Vegeta on edge. This was looking to be far too easy. He didn't like it.

Vegeta walked into the lab where there were several men present. "Which one of you is Trunks Briefs?" he asked.

A creepy-looking white-haired partially balding old man with a beard stepped forward. "What difference is it of yours?"

"It is of no difference to me. It is on behalf of my mate. Now unless you happen to be him, which I suspect you aren't, get out of my way, old man."

The old man scowled at him and left the room.

"Vegeta, why did you do that?" Kakarott asked. "Now he's going to notify Lord Frieza of our presence."

"Fool! Frieza already knows we are here. Why else do you think it was so easy for us to get in here?" Vegeta replied irritably.

"Well, if he knows we're here how come he didn't greet us?"

"Because he wants me to come to him!"

"Excuse me, but are one of you the husband of Bulma Briefs?" a lavender-haired older man asked, coming forward.

Vegeta recognized him immediately from Bulma's ipod. "I am Vegeta and Bulma is my mate, yes. I trust you are her father?"

"I am." He nodded. "My boy, where have you been? She had told me you'd be here in three days. That was weeks ago! She is all but lost to me and quite possibly to you as well. You need to get her away from here."

"I was delayed. I tried to get here as quickly as possible. Where is she?" Vegeta asked.

"Away somewhere with Lord Frieza I would assume." Dr. Briefs replied. "Watch yourself, my boy. Frieza has turned her against you from what I can tell. I haven't had the opportunity to speak with her in private so I cannot tell if it is true or if she is only playing the part, but he has had her working on something for your arrival; a weapon of some sort."

"Thank you for the warning." Vegeta replied. "She is alright though?"

"She seems to be, yes though it may depend on who you ask. I am afraid I was unable to spare her." Dr Briefs said sadly, looking at the floor. "If there was any way, my boy, I would have. But to do so would have compromised my position. She told me not to do anything, that if they succeeded to wait for your arrival and to go with you. So that is what I have done."

Vegeta nodded with a heavy frown. It wasn't looking good. "I understand." He stood there thinking for a moment at what the best course of action at the moment might be. "Go with Kakarott. He is my first Lieutenant and a trusted companion of Bulma's. Go with him and look for your woman. Be quick. Kakarott get him and his mate if you find her to the ship and wait. Keep track of my energy signal. Should it spike, come immediately, I may need your assistance. Keep your energy signal low. I want you to have the element of surprise should I need you."

"Alright. What about Bulma though?" he asked.

"I will bring her back with me after ripping that lizard limb for limb." Vegeta snarled.

"But won't she be a distraction if she's at the battle sight?" Kakarott asked.

Vegeta thought for a moment on that. "Yes, but she's smart enough to keep out of the way. If I am able, I will send her your way. Keep a look out for her energy, Kakarott and get her to the ship then join me."

Kakarott nodded. He wasn't sure if that was the best strategy but it was the best they had at the moment. "Alright, Vegeta."

"Now get going, before that old fool comes back here. With any luck he will not notice Dr. Briefs missing." Vegeta said and headed towards the exit of the science labs.

"Wait!" Dr. Briefs called to him. He quickly ran into another room and returned moments later holding a capsule. "A huge portion of their project is here. I built a blank replica of it and put it in its place and kept the original in anticipation of your arrival. It will slow down the completion of that dreadful weapon they are constructing."

"Well thought out." Vegeta nodded appreciatively.

"Well, I'm not sure if you are aware of it, my boy, but I am a genius after all." Dr. Briefs chuckled.

Vegeta smirked, remembering Bulma used to drop that line all the time. She must have learned it from her father. "Indeed, I have heard. You must leave now. I will find your daughter, you have my word."

Dr. Briefs nodded. "Thank you. Be careful, my boy. That lizard has something sinister planned for you. I am sorry I cannot tell you more. I was not privy to his plans where you were concerned other than his attempt to turn my daughter against you."

"Thank you, but I can assure that if he has succeeded, it will be merely temporary." Vegeta said quietly, trying to convince himself as well as her father. "Go with Kakarott now. We have lingered here for far too long. Look for your mate and stay safe in the ship until I return."

Dr. Briefs nodded and followed the two Saiyans out with further delay. The sooner he got out of there the better.

_**Ten Minutes Later…** _

Vegeta barged into Frieza's throne room unannounced and not caring of the possible consequences. He was getting his mate back! On his journey to Frieza's throne room he had searched out the ship and could not sense her anywhere.

"Ah, Vegeta. How nice of you to drop in." Frieza greeted him, sitting in his throne. "I was so terribly worried something had happened to you."

"Where is Bulma?"

"Oh, I can assure you, she's quite fine. More than fine, actually."

"Then where is she?" he growled. That he could not sense her was driving him border on insane.

"Are you sure you really want her back, Vegeta? She's such a frail, weak little thing. You could do so much better-"

"Where is she?"

"She's here." Frieza shrugged, taking a sip of his wine. "Though she is quite comfortable here. You might find her affections have changed somewhat."

"I will take her back and then kill you. Now where is she and what have you done with her?" he asked dangerously.

"I haven't really done anything to her, Vegeta." He said innocently. "I will admit she is a most exquisite specimen. I have never seen a woman of her coloring before and I suspect never will again. But ultimately, she is not my type. Therefore is not what I have done to her but what the good Doctor has done to her."

Vegeta snarled viciously at him, baring his teeth, revealing his sharp perfect white canines.

"You see, she refused to cooperate and help me and I so desired her brilliant mind. As you are probably well aware, she is a stubborn little thing. No amount of persuasion seemed to work so I had the good Doctor brainwash her."

"You didn't,"

"Oh, my dear Prince, I can assure you I did and we both, the Doctor and I had a lot of fun with it. He not only brainwashed her so that she only works for me now, but I also had him reprogram how she feels about you." Frieza explained nonchalantly. "You see, the good Doctor had the most difficult time trying to wipe you from her memory and trying to sever that damned bond you created with her. She surprised us. She has an incredibly strong mind and refused to forget you. That had been plan A. So upon further deliberation, we came up with plan B."

"Which was?" Vegeta asked irritably. He just wished he would get to the point and tell him where his mate was so he could get her the hell out of here.

"Well, it was still very tricky and she put up a good fight. It took the doctor days. Hours upon hours without reprieve actually. His persistence paid off and he eventually was able to turn that love she carried for you into hate.

"I had always thought the two emotions were so close to one another that this should have been easy, but no. It took a lot of time and effort and you should know she suffered greatly for nearly two weeks because of her feelings for you and her refusal to let them go. But that's all been remedied now my dear Prince." He said happily. "So much for the all-consuming so-called unbreakable Saiyan bond I've heard so much about since I had the unfortunate meeting of your whole entire race."

"I do not believe you. Where is she?!" Vegeta asked again in a deadly tone just barely concealing his rage.

"She should be here soon." Frieza said nonchalantly as though he hadn't had a care in the world. "I sent for her just before you so rudely barged in here."

"If you have harmed her in any way, I swear-"

"She's fine!" Frieza snapped. "By my definition anyway. She's putting her mind to work, helping me devise a way to enslave the universe; and more importantly, you."

"I will never."

"We shall see." Frieza replied with a knowing smirk. "Ahh, she is here." he said as the door of his throne room opened. "Go on, see for yourself. She has not been harmed in any way."

Bulma walked into the room with a blank look on her face. Her hair was pulled back from her face with a black head band. She wore a loose-fitting white kimono top and tight-fitting black pants and black shoes. She looked alright, healthy, uninjured. Because of the style of her top, Vegeta could not tell if she was showing yet or not. He could not sense anything from her at all, but could sense the child. It seemed to be ok.

"Bulma?" he called, walking very carefully up to her, the blank look on her face was very unsettling to him. She met him in the middle of the room and stopped in front of him. "Hey." He said softly to her, his voice laced with concern; she looked like a robot.

Bulma looked him up and down indifferently and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked as she just stood there staring at him with a blank look on her face. _**Bulma, I am sorry it took so long. Are you alright?**_ He asked her through their bond; he could feel it just a bit, though he had to concentrate very hard on it. It was still there. He took comfort in that and tried once again to communicate to her through it, only to be welcomed with a wall she quickly put up, viciously repelling him.

 _ **It hurts, doesn't it?**_ She asked with an evil smirk.

Vegeta looked back at her in disbelief, feeling an intense wave of shame wash over him at the memory of putting her through the same thing; deliberately pushing her away through their bond. As he looked at her and took in her indifferent stare, he felt completely shatterd in that moment as she took down the wall and unleashed a torrent of emotions at him. She bombarded him with feelings of hatred, sadness, despair and abandonment; all of it overwhelming him to the point of his knees almost buckling beneath him.

Complete despair enveloped him at the realization that he had lost her completely and he never felt so empty as he did now at this very moment.

 _Is that how she felt?_ He wondered

"Not even close." She replied coldly, picking up on his thoughts.

 _How could I have done that to her?_ He asked himself.

"I don't know. Especially after all we'd gone through. I would have done anything for you, followed you anywhere. Yet all you ever saw me as was nothing more than a weakness; something to hold you back."

 _ **No. I was wrong, Woman. So wrong. You know that. I am nothing without you.**_ He said defeated through the bond now that she had opened it up. _**I even told you that. Before all of this, I acknowledged to you that you are to me my inspiration of my greatest strength but also my biggest weakness. Do you remember that?**_

 _ **It's a pity it took you so long to realize that. And even now, you can only say it to me through the bond. You can't even say it out loud.**_ She replied cruelly. _**God forbid the high and mighty Prince of Saiyans actually admits to feeling something for someone other than himself.**_

_**Woman, I was only trying to protect you. You knew that. Before all of this. I never hid what I felt for you once we created a bond. I-** _

_**You were, as usual, being selfish. I can't believe I was fooled by you.**_ _**You're nothing but a monster. You took advantage of me!**_

"No. I did not." He replied out loud with conviction. How could she accuse him of such a thing? He frowned and shook his head. He couldn't win. They had somehow completely poisoned her mind beyond all reason. "I agree. I may have been selfish at times in an attempt to protect you from harm or to keep you from being a distraction to me, but I did not take advantage of you."

"You did! You made me believe that you loved me; convinced me that you needed my help. I had asked you at the beginning if helping you was helping one tyrant overthrow another and you assured me you were no tyrant! Yet I've seen and heard of the horrible things you've done. I can't believe I let you touch me!"

"I did not hear you complaining at the time." He replied smugly, trying to hide how much her words hurt him. If she wanted to hurt him, he'd hurt her right back. "If I recall, you were more than willing, repeatedly I might add. I did not take advantage of you or hurt you and you know that. In fact, any time you did scream, it was from pleasure."

She glared at him. "You're a pig!"

"So I've been told." He said, smirking triumphantly at her.

They stood there, glaring murderously at one another, neither one wanting to give the other an inch. Vegeta stared her down, looking into the depths of her eyes for something; anything that might indicate that she was still in there somewhere. That maybe, just _maybe_ she was only acting or pretending to have fully succumbed to whatever the hell it was they'd done to her. He stared and stared, searched and searched until it became apparent: He did not know this woman. The woman he had found, protected, cared about; _no_ had gone so far as fallen in love with was gone.

He clenched his fists and jaw in a barely contained rage. He would destroy them for this. All of them and anyone who had so much as touched her or had looked in her direction and had contributed to her current condition in any way. Then he would take her back with him and try to undo whatever they had done. She still had to be in there somewhere. He vaguely remembered in that moment way back when all this hell had started, when she had first arrived to Vegeta-sei and he had learned of his father and Asia's plot to see her taken from him by Frieza. She had been so scared. He had been honest and had warned her they would break her in both mind and spirit if they succeeded in taking her from him. The clarity of the memory of that night haunted him now. They had been lying in his bed together; he had held on to her so tightly while wishing for a way to possibly spare her of a horrible fate. She had even begged him that night to make love to her and he hadn't, feeling that to have done so at that time would have been taking advantage of her.

He remembered that she had promised that if she was taken, she would wait for him and no matter what they'd have done to her she'd come back to him. He had dismissed her as silly to cling on to such ridiculous notions as that, but now he was hoping to hold her to that promise. However this was something entirely different. At least if she'd been broken in mind and spirit because of abuse, he'd have some idea of how to bring her back. He would hold her and do whatever he could to reassure her of his love for her, that he still wanted her and would protect her from anything ever happening to her again. He would give her whatever she wanted and however much time she needed. He was more than grateful that they had not hurt her or had broken her down that way, but this? How could he undo this?

She hated him. It was written all over her, and it crushed him. There had to be some way for him to get through to her. There just had to be. She had gotten through to him. He had suffered eight months of hell in Frieza's service believing she was dead and being sent on horrible vile missions. He had blocked her and severed their bond. She had still managed to break through to him on the odd occasion. Even when they had found each other and he had been too hurt and afraid to open up their bond again, she had been patient and understanding with him. She had not given up on him or pushed him away. He knew she had been hurt and upset with him for not immediately reopening it, but still she had not turned him away. She had given him his space and when he had decided to reopen their bond and share everything with her, she had been there and had welcomed him with open arms and heart. She soothed him and chased away his doubts and shame. The several weeks they'd spent together on Callisto before her abduction had been perfect. They had been open with each other and were ready to take their relationship to the next level in accepting her pregnancy together with joy. At least she hadn't thrown his initial hesitancy at the idea of having a child in his face. Yet.

"My, my, this has proved to be even more entertaining that I thought it would be!" Lord Frieza said, cutting into the never ending staring contest. "Now Vegeta, this is how this is going to go. You are going to work for me, purge the planets I say and return here like a good little monkey. If you don't, I will kill her."

"Go ahead. She's obviously already dead to me."

"Well, I am afraid it's not quite that simple. You see, we did leave enough of a bond between you two that if I kill her, you will follow." He answered with a triumphant gleam in his eye.

"Then get it over and done with, I want no part in anything to do with you and I know that if you hadn't messed with her head that she wouldn't either. You'd be doing both of us a favor." Vegeta spat.

"And of your unborn child?"

Vegeta clenched his teeth. "I would still rather he die with her than condemn him to a life living under your influence."

"We shall see about that." Frieza laughed and nodded at Bulma, who reached around Vegeta from behind and snapped a ki collar around his neck.

Vegeta turned and looked at her in hurt and complete and utter disbelief. This was absolutely unbelievable!

"See? Even now you regret taking me as your mate." Bulma spat at him.

"Woman, I never once felt regret over taking you as a mate until this moment." He said calmly, containing every bit of rage he felt. "By doing this, I hope you know that you have just signed your death warrant along with all of these other fools. The exception being, for them they shall have a quick death. But you, I will enjoy drawing your death out for days, maybe even weeks. You will see and understand exactly how much of a pig I actually can be and what it means to be taken advantage of. You will beg for death. And when I decide you have paid the full price for betraying your mate, the Prince of all Saiyans then I will kill you." he said menacingly, mustering up as much hate and malice in his voice as he could even though deep down he knew he'd never be able to do it. Not anymore. Not to her. But she didn't have to know that.

Vegeta smirked in satisfaction as he thought he might have seen a flicker of fear in her eyes. Though it was concealed just as quickly as it had appeared, he had still caught it. Maybe there was a fragment of her in there buried in the depths of her mind. He refused to believe there wasn't. It may be hard to find, but it had to be there somewhere. His woman was mentally one of the strongest beings he had ever met. She had to have sealed away something that he could use to bring her back. He just needed the time to work at it and find it.

"Prince Vegeta must be very tired. Why don't you take him to his quarters?" Frieza said in a bored tone.

"With pleasure, my Lord." Bulma said, linking her arm with his and leading him away and out of the throne room.

They walked in silence for a long time before they reached the prison area. Vegeta's mind was racing. He had to find a way out of this. He was trying to get through to her through the bond, but she had a wall up again. He wondered how she'd been able to stand it all that those months he had blocked her? It had only been a few weeks that he'd been unable to communicate with her and now only a few minutes that he knew she was doing it purposely. It was frustrating! He ignored another wave of shame for having done that to her.

Bulma stopped in front of an open door of a room he assumed was to be his sleeping quarters. He walked in and then grabbed her by her arm, bringing her in with him, shoving her up harshly against the wall.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" she hissed.

"I know you're in there, Woman. Somewhere. You are not lost to me."

"Sorry to spoil your hopes, Vegeta but anything I felt for you is dead."

"I don't buy it." He said shaking her. "I know you still burn for me as I do for you." he said, leaning in closer to her.

"Think what you want. Now let me go."

"And why would I do that? Ki collar or not, I can choke the life out of you right here and now and no one would know." He said maliciously.

"You won't."

"How could you be so sure?" he asked, cocking his head with interest, watching her intently.

"Because you told me once that I had nothing to fear from you." She said softly, looking back at him boldly.

"So you do remember?"

"Some things." She admitted.

"How about this?" he asked, crushing his lips roughly to hers, kissing her deeply.

Bulma moaned in objection and smacked him on his left shoulder with her right hand. He pinned her left arm at her side against the wall, trapping her there as he leaned into her and continued to kiss her within an inch of her life. She was still trying to push him away with her right hand on his shoulder. He took her hand instead with his left and laced his fingers with hers.

She managed to wrench her mouth from his. "Get off me!" she shouted angrily, but licking her lips.

"Say you felt nothing. I dare you." he said huskily, looking intensely at her.

"I don't feel anything. Now let me go."

"I do not believe you." he said shaking his head at her. "You are mine, as I am yours. Until we both pass on."

"Not anymore, I'm not." She whispered almost sadly. "Now let me go."

Vegeta looked at her a few moments longer; she was still so beautiful to him. He let go of her left arm he had pinned against the wall and moved the collar of her top over, revealing her neck. He frowned and shook his head; her neck where he had bitten her was now all marred up. "What happened here?" he asked her.

She began to shake and quiver with fear. "Frieza. He burnt me." She whispered, looking down. "So you would not have any claim on me. He told me I was nothing more than a bed slave to you, that now I would be free of you."

He sighed deeply and tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment while he calmed the deep rage threatening to take hold. That they had messed her head up this bad was unforgivable!

"Do you remember the night I marked you?" he asked calmly once the urge to shake the sense back into her had passed. He knew she was mentally very fragile at the moment and took her not screaming at him and fighting to get away from him as encouragement. She was actually humoring him, helping him get a full grasp on what they had done to her. Maybe he could find something there to work with or at least get her to question a few things for herself.

She frowned for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I don't."

"Of course not," Vegeta growled quietly to himself, still trying to contain the rage he felt. "Look, do you see this?" he said, pulling away the blue neckline of his flight suit, revealing the small scar she had left on his neck. It was barely there, but still discernible if one looked closely enough at it, it was unmistakably a bite mark. "You marked me as well. Do you remember doing that?" he asked hopefully.

She looked at it for a moment and then shook her head no.

"Well, if you were nothing to me but a slave, I would not have bitten you and you most certainly would not have been allowed to bite and mark me. This is a part of a mating and bonding ritual of my people. It is only shared among mates." He explained to her.

Vegeta watched her carefully for a few minutes, letting her take all of that in. She was smart. She would figure it out on her own he hoped. He then gently placed his hand flat on her abdomen. He leaned into her again against her body. Her abdomen was starting to swell a little from what he could feel. She had to be around three months by now.

Bulma gasped and placed her trembling hand on top of his, not entirely sure of his intentions. She looked at him, her eyes wide. He could see fear there and it disturbed him. "I am not going to hurt you." He said quietly, reaching out with his ki, trying to analyze its development and progress. It seemed fine. He did not know anything about pregnancy, but he could not detect any distress coming from it; from him. He could even detect a solid heart beat.

One side of his mouth turned up in a small smile of relief. Both she and the child were healthy from what he could tell. "The child is strong."

"Of course it is." She replied. "It's yours."

He smirked at her, relieved that she wasn't looking at him in terror or hate at the moment. He left his hand lingering on her stomach and brushed his lips against hers, stroking the back of his other hand softly along her cheek.

Bulma turned her face away from him. "Let me go."

"Fine." He said putting his hands up and stepping back away from her. He did not want to overwhelm her. He could tell she was extremely confused at the moment.

"Look, don't read too much into this, but that Ki collar has an off switch." She said finally.

"How does it work?"

"Like I'm going to tell you that!" she snorted. "Look, I'm the only one who knows about it. I was the one who designed it. When the time is right, I'll turn it off for you so you can kill that bastard."

Vegeta grinned victoriously. "And you're willing to help me why?"

"Because he's evil. Like I said, don't read more into this than it is. I hate you. Make no mistake about it. But I also know that at the end of the day, you are the lesser of two evils."

"And once I destroy Frieza and take my place as supreme ruler over the galaxy?"

"You will never see me again." she answered.

"And where do you think you are going to go, Woman?" he asked in amusement.

"I don't know, away. As far away from you as I can get. Someplace where I can raise my son so that he does not end up like him or like you."

"I will not allow it."

"You'll have no choice. I will help you find a way to destroy Lord Frieza. But as soon as you have the upper hand, I will make my escape."

"So be it but I will find you."

"Please don't," she pleaded.

"Woman, you belong to me. Or have you forgotten? I will make you my queen if you'll help me."

"I will help you but I don't want to be your queen. I only want to be left alone! I have nothing!"

"You'll have me, Woman!"

"I don't want you!"

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "I remember when that was not the case." He said, then began to think about them when everything between them had been fine. He sent mental images to her of their first time together on his island on Vegeta-sei; the joy he felt when she accepted him and their bond, the extreme desire he felt for her. He shared with her the gentle way he had taken her innocence that night, his concern that he may hurt her and how she had trusted him blindly that he would not harm her.

Then he sent her his memory of when they'd found each other on Bellatrix after thinking she had been dead for eight months. He thought of that passionate night how they could not keep their hands off one another; how neither of them had hardly slept because neither could quench the thirsty need they held for each other. He sent her his feelings and memories of the night he had revealed to her his ascension on the plateau and how they'd made love afterwards; sent her his feelings of pride in having her as his mate and acceptance that she was in a way a huge weakness but he did not resent her. He showed her the fear and anxiety that had gripped his soul these five weeks they had been separated; especially how hard these last two weeks of him not knowing if both she and their unborn child had been safe or not. He sent all of his thoughts and feelings to her at that moment in an attempt to reawaken her.

"Get out of my head!" she shouted at him.

"I do not understand, Woman!" he sighed in annoyance. He wanted to be patient, he really did. That she hated him so much at the moment was not her fault, but that didn't make it that much easier for him to deal with this. "The last time we spoke, you said you would put up a wall to keep them out. How did this happen? How are you so easily swayed by them in two weeks? What did they do to you?"

"I don't know." She replied, looking down at the floor. "I don't remember much; just that I had an extreme headache, like a migraine the whole time. The only thing I remember of you is telling me I am nothing but a weakness to you and you blocking me out for almost a year. I remember you wanting me to abort our unborn child and not telling me you loved me before this happened to me. I don't even remember why. When I woke up four days ago the first thought that came to mind was "why didn't he tell me he loved me back?" They told me you abandoned us. Explain that." She said, placing her hand on her stomach.

Vegeta sighed and nodded. So they had only focused on the negative things that had happened between them, but he had already assumed as much. "Woman, I am sorry. Do you remember nothing else of me?"

She shook her head. "No."

He looked at her intensely. "Woman. You're smart." He said quietly. "I do not know what they did to you. I am very sorry I could not get to you in time. I blame myself for your abduction and not protecting you. I am sorry for failing you that way and I am sorry for failing you by not telling you that I loved you the last time we spoke before this happened to you. I was stressed over making it here as quickly as I could and not thinking that you may have needed that. I took for granted that you just knew. Before all of this you did know it. I have never told it to you. I've never had to. That is not who I am.

"But aside from all of that, look into this on your own, Woman. You're a goddamned genius! They have turned you against me. Look into this on your own. I am not going to beg you to see something that is obvious. Figure this out. I know you can. Ask yourself why you cannot remember anything other than the negative and the horrible. Ask yourself how that child was conceived. I can assure you our union was consensual. I never once took advantage of you."

She looked at him intently and frowned as though considering something.

"You are a scientist. Look at all of the angles before blindly accepting what anyone tells you. You are smarter than that. Do not blindly accept what I am telling you now, do not accept what they are telling you. Work it out. Meditate on it. If I were so horrible, would I have come here for you? Most importantly if you were nothing to me, I would have crushed the life out of you the second we left Frieza's throne room."

Bulma nodded. He had no idea what she was thinking. If she agreed or disagreed. He was banking on her giving what he had said a lot of thought. Her mind would most likely not be satisfied without concrete explanations, unless they changed that part of her as well. If they had, he knew there was a very good chance she would be permanently lost to him.

"I have to go." She said awkwardly, walking out of his small room. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked frowning at her.

"For not hurting me." She said. "I was under the impression you were going to hurt me."

"Woman, I could never hurt you." he said looking at the ground in shame. He knew he should have not admitted that to her, but at the same time if he had to rebuild their relationship back up from the beginning; if she gave him a chance, he did not want to start by having her terrified of him. As it was, he felt he had over done it earlier when he told her he'd kill her in the worst way thinkable, but that had been more for Frieza's benefit than hers.

She nodded and half smiled at him before leaving him and locking the door.

As she made her way down the hall and back to the lab, she began to think about the last half hour. There had been a few things Vegeta had said that made sense. She hated him. She knew that much, but she didn't know _why_ she hated him and that disturbed her. Something at the back of her mind was telling her that something was very wrong with this picture. It had been nagging at her since she had woken up a few days ago and now it was as if the nagging had turned into an alarm bell the moment Vegeta had shown up. She had wanted to speak with her father when she had been let out of that room, but hadn't been given the opportunity.

Bulma thought for a moment and decided that was what she needed to do.

-0-0-0-

Kakarott and Dr. Briefs hastily made their way to the harem area on the ship. Kakarott had never been there, but he knew where it was. "We don't have a lot of time, I'm afraid. You must hurry."

"I will, my boy." Dr. Brief replied with a determined nod. "I don't want to spend another moment here if I can help it. Thank you for helping me look for my wife and for caring for Bulma. You and Vegeta both have my gratitude."

"Oh, it's my pleasure!" Kakarott said with his usual childish grin. "Bulma's become like a little sister to me. Ever since she and Vegeta got together. She's like the sweetest person I've ever met. We spent a lot of time together when she and Vegeta got separated."

"So you and Bulma were an item then?" he asked in a confused tone.

"What? Oh no, nothing like that, sir. She's Vegeta's woman through and through. Those two were meant for one another." Kakarott said with a laugh. "She even introduced me to her friend Chi-Chi and now we're mated and expecting our first child."

"Chi-Chi made it through everything and they found each other? How nice!" Dr. Briefs commented. Somehow the fact that Chi-Chi had survived and the two girls had found each other didn't surprise him. "Congratulations." He added awkwardly.

"Yea thanks! Just like Bulma and Vegeta!" Kakarott nodded. "But Chi-Chi is a few months ahead of Bulma."

"Bulma is pregnant?" Dr. Briefs asked, coming to an abrupt stop.

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Kakarott asked, his face growing red from embarrassment.

"No." Dr. Briefs replied. "Not that she really had the opportunity to. But she did tell me she and Vegeta were married."

"Yea, they are. Well, mated as my people would call it."

"So the things Lord Frieza said about her being nothing more than his sex slave was false?" Dr. Briefs asked, looking carefully at Kakarott as though he were analyzing his reaction.

"Oh, absolutely!" Kakarott replied. "Well, technically yea."

"How do you mean, my boy?" he asked. "I need to know that I am not taking my baby girl out from one horrible situation and placing her into another. If that happens to be the case, I think its better we stay here."

"Oh no! Yea, for sure! I understand." Kakarott nodded. "I don't feel it's my place to tell such a story. You should really be hearing it from Bulma but when she and Vegeta met, I don't exactly know what happened, but he was smitten with her. We left then came back. He purchased her from the place she was at and brought her back to our home planet under the cover that she was his personal concubine."

Dr. Briefs frowned and nodded, not saying anything.

"That kind of thing is very common among our race. Vegeta told everyone that so that she would be left alone and no one would question him. It was for her protection. No one in the right mind would take what belongs to the crowned Prince." Kakarott continued. "However, you can have my word that Vegeta never treated her as such. He didn't even touch her until he decided to take her as his mate. He and I share the same opinion where women are concerned. Vegeta was also interested in having Bulma help advance our technology to help free us from Lord Frieza. She was working in the lab with my father, but no one was to know of this since it is forbidden for bed slaves to be used for anything else."

"So then why did he tell everyone she was his bed slave?" Dr. Briefs asked in confusion.

"Because it's not seen as proper for women to work in the lab anyway and as Vegeta's bed slave, no one would be suspicious as to why he was keeping her confined to his quarters. They would have just assumed he was very possessive of what was his. It's not something that either of us agree with, sir. It's just what is common among our race. Vegeta's father, our own King goes through women by the droves. It is acceptable. Vegeta isn't like that though. He finds his father's conduct appalling. So when Frieza says that Bulma was nothing more than his concubine, it's true in the sense that it is what he told everyone. But it isn't because he never treated her or used her that way. Unfortunately, both his father and Lord Frieza caught on that he did care for her as more than he should and so they plotted to have her killed. Vegeta sent both her and I away; it was my job to ensure she be kept safe and it was almost a year before they were reunited. It was on our travels that Bulma happened to find Chi-Chi and we brought her with us and I admit I was quite taken by the girl."

Dr. Briefs nodded. "Thank you."

"For what?" Kakarott asked in confusion.

"For settling that for me." The Dr. replied. "You look like you have an honest face. I will trust you. Before they locked Bulma away and messed with her head, she told me to trust Vegeta when he came. Then Frieza said a bunch of horrible things to her about Vegeta's true intentions where she was concerned. I must admit, they were horrible and as a father, I questioned which the right path to take was. I followed my gut feeling on this one. Vegeta is exactly what she had briefly described which is why I came with you. Your story seems legitimate and so I am entrusting both you and Vegeta with our safety."

"I am honored, sir." Kakarott said with a smile. "I can promise you, it's nothing like what Frieza has said. Now let's find your mate and hopefully we can get out of here quickly. I can explain everything better once we make it to the ship if it doesn't look like Vegeta needs my help. And then you can get the whole story from both of them. Sound like a plan?"

"It does!" Dr. Briefs agreed.

The two men walked uncomfortably into the harem.

"Why hello, gorgeous!" One of the women greeted. "How may I be of service to you today?"

"Hi. Umm, we aren't here for your services." Kakarott said scratching the back of his head awkwardly as the woman who had greeted them and several others looked at them both with interest. "But maybe you can help us. We're looking for someone."

"Oh? And who may that be?" a scantily clad light green woman asked with a pout.

"This man is looking for his mate. Is she here? She's human." Kakarott answered, gesturing to Dr. Briefs. He realized he knew nothing of Bulma's mother. What she looked like. He didn't even know her name.

"Yes. Her name is Bunny Briefs." Dr. Briefs replied. "She's tall and has blonde hair."

Three of the woman looked at one another and shook their heads, no. "Oh! I know who you mean!" A very short petite woman with an opalescent complexion replied. "She was here for like a day I think. Does she like to cook and bake?"

"She does! Yes!" Dr. Briefs replied hopefully.

"Ya. We know her you guys!" the small woman said. "She's the one that makes us those amazing pastries and sometimes helps us with our makeup when we're pressed for time."

"Ohh!" a few of the women nodded in recollection. "I didn't even know what her name was." One of them said with a shrug.

"Do you know where we can find her?" Dr. Briefs asked excitedly. He hadn't seen his wife since the day Earth was destroyed.

"I think she's in the kitchen." The opalescent woman replied.

"Thank you!" the two men said, turning to leave immediately.

"Do you know where the kitchen is?" Dr. Briefs asked.

"Oh boy, do I ever!" Kakarott nodded and the two men headed into the elevator and Kakarott pushed one of the buttons, moving up a few floors. "I wonder how Vegeta is doing. I hope he found Bulma alright."

"I hope so as well." Dr. Briefs nodded. "Didn't he say something about sensing her energy or you sensing them both?"

"Yea. He did. But I can't sense either one of them at the moment." Kakarott said, frowning as he tried to concentrate. He should have been able to at least sense Vegeta. That he couldn't was starting to bother him. "Once we find your mate, I am going to take you both to the ship. You guys are to wait there for us. I will go look for Bulma and Vegeta. Alright?"

"Alright." Dr. Briefs nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, I don't think so." Kakarott said, stepping out of the elevator first, making sure there were no threats waiting for them. The aroma of fresh food filled his lungs and made his mouth water. He had not had a decent meal since leaving Chi-Chi on Callisto.

The two men continued on into the back kitchen when they bumped into Yamcha.

"Dr. Briefs? Kakarott?" the young man exclaimed in disbelief. "Oh man, am I glad to see you guys! What are you doing here?"

"We're here looking for Bulma's mother." Kakarott replied warily. He wasn't impressed with him and now running into him would be a further complication.

"Oh, well she's just right this way." Yamcha said, indicating for them to follow him. "She snuck me out of the harem. Frieza sent me there instead of giving me a job like he'd promised. I was only there a few hours and Bunny came there to drop off some baked goods to the women there and let me come hang with her. I've been helping her out in the kitchen ever since."

"That is good, my boy." Dr. Briefs nodded. "I am glad you are alright."

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." Yamcha nodded. "So, where's Bulma? I haven't seen her since I arrived here."

"Vegeta is looking for her right now." Kakarott replied shortly. "We are here to retrieve Bulma's mother and head back to Callisto."

"Right on! I'm so glad I ran into you! I can't wait to get out of here." Yamcha said happily.

"I wasn't planning on bringing you back with us, Yamcha." Kakarott replied with a frown.

"Come on!" Yamcha whined.

"I don't see why we can't bring him back with us." Dr. Briefs commented, looking curiously at the Saiyan.

"That's not my call. It's up to Vegeta." Kakarott said shaking his head. "What you did was wrong and under Saiyan law, punishable by death."

"Well, I'm not Saiyan thank god for that and I was only doing what I thought was the right thing for Bulma. How could I know it was the wrong thing?" Yamcha objected. "Look! She's going to be reunited with both her parents because of me. Is that so bad? I know I screwed up but it worked out for the best, right?"

"You're the one who brought her here?" Dr. Briefs asked with a confused frown. He had been wondering all this time how she had gotten herself into this mess.

"Yeah. I met with one of Lord Frieza's associates and they said you were here so I brought Bulma here." Yamcha nodded.

"You kidnapped her and brought her here against her will is more like it." Kakarott corrected him with a frown. "Bulma knew her father was here. She and Vegeta were biding their time until he was strong enough to beat him before looking for her parents and bringing them back."

"Oh." Was all Yamcha said.

"Yeah." Kakarott replied. "Now will you please take us to Dr. Briefs' mate? We haven't much time."

"Yeah. She's right this way." Yamcha nodded and headed down another hallway. He couldn't believe how badly he had screwed things up. Why had Bulma not mentioned anything to him before about knowing her parents were alright? It did kind of make sense now how adamant she was about not going after them. She'd already had a plan. But again, why hadn't she filled him in on it? "Hey, I meant no harm, I swear."

"I'm sure you didn't, but it's up to Vegeta." Kakarott shrugged. "You kidnapped his mate and put her and their unborn child in grave danger by doing what you did. You'll be lucky if he doesn't seek you out once he destroys Lord Frieza and kill you for putting both him and Bulma through everything that you did. Like I said, it's not my call. It's Vegeta's. I'm not even sure what I would do if the roles were reversed and it was Chi-Chi."

Yamcha was about to say something else in his defense as he opened the door to another room but didn't get the chance.

"Oh my goodness gracious!" a tall, slender blonde woman exclaimed. "Trunks! Is that you?"

"It is, my dear." Dr. Briefs nodded, rushing over to his wife and hugging her. "Are you alright?"

"I am." She replied, trying not to cry. "Are you alright? I have been trying for months to find a way into the science lab! I knew you were there but couldn't find a way in."

"It's alright. I am fine and we are getting out of here." he soothed her. "Bulma is here as well somewhere. All of us are getting out of here."

"Bulma?" she cried. "She's alright? I haven't seen her either. Yamcha told me she's here."

"She is." Dr. Briefs nodded, not wanting to tell her about all that had happened right now.

"My Prince is looking for her right now." Kakarott said.

"A Prince? Oh, my!" Mrs. Briefs exclaimed, walking up to him. "Is he as handsome as you?" she asked, patting his cheek.

"I, uh. I don't know. I guess so?" Kakarott shrugged uncomfortably under the older woman's intense scrutiny.

"Let's go, my dear, you will meet him soon enough." Dr. Briefs said, urging his wife out the door in haste. "We must get out of here."

"Of course! Let's get out of here." she nodded."Oh, Yamcha, you are coming with us as well, right?"

"I'd like to." Yamcha nodded.

"Well, then come along. Hurry!" she said to him, reaching out and linking her arm with his.

Kakarott sighed, but didn't object. He would let Vegeta deal with it once he made his way back to the ship. It was his decision anyhow. He just hoped he didn't decide to blast him in front of Bulma's parents. That would not make for a good first impression.

The four of them hurried out of the kitchen area and into the elevator and up to the shipping dock where Kakarott hoped Vegeta would be waiting with Bulma.

-0-0-0-

Bulma walked into the lab in a whirlwind fashion. She really needed to speak with her father. He always knew what to do and she always valued his opinion. She vaguely remembered she hadn't always taken his advice, especially where Yamcha had been concerned, but she had still always valued it.

She walked up to the work station where she knew he had been assigned and was shocked that he wasn't there. "Do you know where Dr. Briefs is?" she asked one of the workers urgently and frowned when he shook his head no and continued on with his work. _Where is he?_ She thought to herself.

 _ **He is with Kakarott and they are looking for your mother.**_ She heard Vegeta reply. She cursed herself at not keeping her mental wall up.

 _ **I thought I told you to stay out of my head.**_ She replied irritably. She had the worst headache and didn't know why, she decided to head to her bedroom and lie down for a bit. Get her thoughts in order.

 _ **You did, but I didn't listen.**_ Vegeta replied in amusement.

Bulma sighed in irritation and put her wall back up. She was confused enough at the moment without having to deal with him knowing every thought that popped into her mind. It was annoying! If their union had been consensual, as he had indicated, why would she have agreed to such a thing? It bothered her; it was an invasion of her privacy she thought in annoyance. She wanted nothing to do with him and now that he was here, she was forced to deal with him. Truth be told, she couldn't get him out of her head even though she wanted to; or that kiss they'd shared. She could not deny it had stirred something within her. She didn't understand it and it had frightened her to her core. On one hand she was very worried about her safety and the safety of her unborn child; on the other hand, she had felt safe in Vegeta's presence and despite what she had been told and had seen and what Vegeta had said when he'd said he would kill her for supposedly betraying him; something was telling her he still would not harm her.

There was definitely something there.

The more she thought on it, the angrier it made her. Someone was lying to her and she didn't like it. One thing that Vegeta had said that made sense to her was his insistence that she look into all of this on her own. He had said that twice to her. She went to bed and curled herself up in a ball under the blankets. She decided that a nap would help. Just a quick nap to get rid of this headache and then she'd go and look for her father and try to figure this thing out.

After about a half hour, she began to feel frustrated when sleep wouldn't come to her. Her confusion over all of this was running her mind into hyper drive. Why was this happening to her? She sighed and rolled over again. She was not going to think about this anymore. Vegeta wasn't who she had thought he was. They had told her and even shown her that. He only wanted to take her back and use her. She tried to force him out of her mind, but couldn't forget the intense way he had looked at her; how truly hurt he looked when he realized she wasn't his anymore. She tried to forget the way his lips felt on hers or the gentle way he had placed his hand on her belly, seeking out the child they had created together. He had not acted like a man who did not care for their well being.

She finally felt her body relax as she began to drift off. She was just about asleep when she felt two strong arms envelop her and realized that someone was spooning her. Being that she was half asleep and just too tired and stressed out to care, she ignored them; it felt good, she felt safe. Whoever it was, they sure smelled good; she thought to herself. She felt a hand travel down the length of her body and dip down between her legs. She sighed in contentment as it began to rub her and caress her gently. She could feel his erection pressing against the back of her thigh and she wondered where all her clothes had gone? She hadn't taken them off when she'd gone to bed.

Her thoughts were disrupted as the person behind her began to kiss the back of her neck and nibbled lightly on her ear. She moaned as she began to rock her hips against the hand between her legs, begging for more contact from this person. She sighed as she felt his length slowly enter her from behind as though reading her mind and knowing her desire for more.

Bulma moaned as he began to thrust slowly into her; it was almost agonizingly slow. Whoever it was was still only just teasing her; his hand still caressing her down her front. She leaned her head back on his shoulder and sighed as his lips traveled down her jaw and met her lips as she turned her face towards him. She carefully kissed him back, still feeling groggy from sleep. She moaned as she felt him quicken his pace just a little; thrusting a little deeper into her, but still more gently and slower than what she wanted at the moment. She felt the pleasure pulsating through her body; she knew she was close, but the slow pace he was making was keeping her from the release she so desperately wanted. In an attempt to take matters into her own hands, she began to move her hips back into him.

She felt a hitch and tickle of breath on the back of her neck as though she were being smirked at. She moaned in frustration as he moved his hand up from between her legs and brought it up to her center on her stomach, halting her movements against him so that she could not move against him; she was helpless and completely at his mercy at the painfully slow pace he had set. She panted and moaned in frustration as he continued on with this sweet torture. She finally opened her eyes for the first time, taking in her surroundings and noted hazily that this wasn't her room. The room was vaguely familiar to her, but she could not place it. Not with him tormenting her the way he was at the moment. She had to think of a way to pay him back for this. Her husband was being devious at the moment and she did not appreciate it. Well, she did and she didn't. Wait. Her husband? Why did that thought feel so foreign yet so natural at the same time?

She turned her head around to try and look at him, only to have him capture her lips again; he kissed her deeply. Vegeta. Why was he here? She wanted to push him away from her as realization sunk in to her. Not only had he violated her mind but now her body as well. She hated him. But oh what he was doing to her felt so good. She didn't want him to stop; but he was a horrible vicious killer who had manipulated her and forced himself on her and then left her once he had found out she was pregnant. Well, that's what they had said. What they had told her was a stark contrast to what the man was doing to her at this very moment. He was gentle and tender, yet she loved the way he nipped at her neck, shoulder and jaw every so often. He was worshiping her body with his hands and body, treating her as though she were the most precious and breakable object in the world.

Any thoughts of pushing him away faded as he continued to move against and into her, speeding up his pace just a little. How could she hate anyone who made her feel like this? She dismissed all reason and doubt, as she allowed the pleasure he was bringing her fully envelop her senses completely. She would worry about the consequences later. This was just too good. She didn't want him to stop. Ever. She moaned as she felt herself coming close to her release and heard him chuckle as he slowed down again. The bastard! She thought to herself in frustration. She could feel herself begin to tremble with need; her release so close yet so far. She loved him and hated him at the same moment for denying her the quick release she needed. He was deliberately dragging this out just to torture her.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as she felt him nearly pull out of her completely and entered her fully, and quickly. He did this twice and she felt her body begin to convulse as her release began.

Bulma sat up in her bed; breathing hard, trembling and noticed she was damp with sweat. She looked around her and found herself alone in her quarters back on Frieza's ship and her nether regions throbbing with need.

 _What the hell? S_ he lamented to herself. _**Would you stop bombarding my mind with your dirty thoughts?**_ She said angrily to Vegeta. How dare he invade her dreams in that way!

She heard him smirk in amusement. _**I could say the same to you, Woman.**_

_**Whatever. I was trying to sleep. Not fantasize about you. I know you're just trying to manipulate me. It's not going to work.** _

_**That was no fantasy, Woman.**_ He replied softly. _**I was trying to get some rest and it was your dirty mind that disturbed me.**_

 _ **What do you mean that was no fantasy?**_ She asked after a moment.

 _ **Exactly that. What you just dreamt actually happened.**_ He said. _**If I had wanted to corrupt your mind with dirty memories, I can think of a few more interesting scenarios than that one; though that night was memorable.**_

 _ **What else happened that night?**_ She asked after hesitating a moment, unsure if she really wanted to know. _**Like what was so special about that night to make it memorable?**_

_**You don't know?** _

_**No. I don't even know what room we were in. It feels vaguely familiar but I can't place it.** _

She almost felt him sigh heavily. _**You and I were separated for eight months immediately following our union. I had thought you had been killed. It took you eight months to track me down and you found me on a planet called Bellatrix. What you just remembered was one of our couplings from our reunion that night.**_ He explained patiently to her. She could sense sadness from him as he told her that.

 _ **Oh.**_ She replied awkwardly, not knowing what else to say to him. It was vivid enough that she shivered now at the memory. She could tell from that memory that he had not treated her badly. She had been willing. Hell if he had been in the same room as her at this very moment she had to admit she would not be able to turn him away. She heard him smirk at her, obviously picking up on her train of thought.

 _ **Shut up!**_ She bristled at him, feeling mortified that he was privy to her thoughts. This whole bond thing was a real nuisance.

 _ **I wasn't going to say anything.**_ He replied innocently, though she could sense his amusement over the situation.

 _ **So what happened after that?**_ She asked him, trying to change the subject. She honestly had no memory of what had happened before or after that. What if that hadn't even happened? What if he was just messing with her head?

 _ **I am not messing with your head. That memory came from you.**_ He said. _**I know you are not completely lost to me. And from what I recall we coupled twice after what you just remembered then once more in the morning before you left. We started in the shower and I took you back to the bedroom to finish it. You then left the planet with Kakarott and I followed a few hours later on.**_

 _ **What happened when we met up again?**_ She asked. _**Where did we meet up again?**_

_**In your bedroom on the planet Callisto. I surprised you while you were asleep and I reopened our bond, which you accepted.** _

_**And we were happy after that?** _

_**We were. It was nearly perfect.**_ He replied. _**A few weeks later we discovered you were with child.**_

 _ **Yea, and your first reaction was for me to terminate it! I remember that.**_ She said bitterly.

_**True and I am sorry for that but do you remember why?** _

_**Because you're a selfish asshole?** _

_**I may be a selfish asshole and I guess you could look at it that way. I was selfish. I was fearful you may not live through a full term pregnancy and delivery. I still fear that. I do not want to lose you for want of a child. I agree that I was selfish, but I did not insist on you terminating it. Instead I again chose to be selfish and allowed it since I knew I would lose you anyway if I pushed you into terminating it. I am glad we did not do that.** _

_**That's all I remember.** _

_**What?** _

_**You wanting me to agree to terminating my pregnancy and then I ended up here. You left me. You couldn't stand the thought of having a child with me.**_ She said accusingly to him.

_**I did not leave you. That idiot ex mate of yours took you and brought you here against your will.** _

_**Yamcha?** _

_**Yes. He drugged you and brought you here.** _

_**I don't remember that.**_ She said after a long moment considering what he had just told her. That she only remembered bit and pieces and fragments of events was starting to really piss her off. She agreed with him that Dr. Gero had messed with her mind. Why else could she only remember bad things between her and Vegeta? She knew she was being manipulated, but did not know who he could trust: Frieza or Vegeta? They were both bad news in her opinion.

 _ **Well, that is what happened. Now can you come down here and let me out? Turn off this damned collar so I can destroy that damned Lizard and we can get out of here?**_ He said irritably.

_**No! Of course you want me to get you out!** _

_**You said you were going to help me. Now quit wasting time and help me get us the hell out of here!** _

_**So what? You can manipulate me again? Maybe push me down some stairs so that I lose this child?** _

_**No, Woman!**_ He growled angrily. _**I mean, yes. I want to get you out of here. Not to manipulate you and no, I will not be doing anything to harm our child. Get me out of here and we will set matters straight. Kakarott is waiting with your father at the ship and possibly your mother.**_

Bulma thought long and hard on that. _**How can I trust you?**_

_**You said so yourself earlier that you thought I was the lesser of two evils.** _

_**That may be true, but I won't be leaving here with you. Once we part ways here, I want nothing more to do with you. I told you that already.** _

_**You cannot leave here without me. I will not allow it! Even if you do leave, I will find you. I will cross the entire galaxy to bring you back where you belong if I have to. You will not be able to hide from me forever.** _

_**What difference does it make, Vegeta? I'm weak and do nothing but hold you back. Remember?**_ She said angrily.

She could feel the annoyance radiating off of him. He was silent for a few minutes before he replied. _**Then leave me alone and stop bothering me so that I can get some rest and find my way out of here. With or without your help, I will not be contained here long.**_ He said despairingly.

Bulma lay in her bed another few minutes in silence, contemplating what to do. She thought on some of the things he had just told her. They seemed plausible; and he seemed sincere. She knew she could not stay here much longer. Maybe if she helped him he could get her out of here and then once they were safe, she would make her escape. He seemed adamant on getting her out of here. Maybe his intentions weren't so bad.

She hated feeling this way! She knew she hated him but at the same time she just felt drawn to him; like gravity. Try as she might, she could not ignore that. It confused her. Her head was telling her to stay away from him but her gut and heart were telling her that he was the right thing. Very rarely in her life, could she remember her gut telling her the wrong thing; her heart most certainly. But her gut; never.

 _ **Vegeta?**_ She asked, seeking him out.

_**Hmmn?** _

_**If I help you and you get me out of here, where will we go?** _

_**To a planet called Callisto. That is where we have been living. Your friend Chi-Chi is there.** _

_**Chi-Chi's there?** _

_**She is. She is mated with Kakarott and they are expecting their first brat as well.**_ He told her.

 _ **Oh.**_ She replied. Well that certainly changed things a bit then. She knew Chi-Chi would fill her in on everything. She could trust her to tell her the truth where she and Vegeta had been concerned. Maybe she could stay there with her friend? _**And you said my father is waiting on a ship with Kakarott?**_

_**He should be, yes. Kakarott is more than likely looking for us.** _

_**Alright. I will go and find them and then come help you. Alright?** _

_**Alright. Hurry, Woman!** _

_**Don't boss me around! I'll have you know that every alarm bell in my head is telling me to not trust you! I'm going out on a leap of faith here!**_ She said angrily to him.

Bulma heard him growl, but he did not reply further. She got herself out of bed and hurried out of her room and down the hall. She vaguely remembered where the shipping dock was. She just hoped she didn't run into any of Lord Frieza's men or Dr. Gero. He would escort her back to the lab where she should be working at this moment.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta growled and leaned back against the wall in his small cell. This whole situation was driving him border on insane. Why couldn't the woman just take his word for it and ask questions later? He thought in annoyance. He wanted to be patient. He really did, but the circumstances at the moment didn't really allow for it. He did not have time to give her a play by play of how they had gotten together and everything that had happened between then and now. Hopefully she did as she said she was going to do: get him out of here so he could destroy Frieza. Then he would have several weeks to help her remember everything that had passed between them. He would keep her holed up in a bedroom on the ship the entire time if that's what it took. He could always fuck the sense back into her that way he supposed, smirking at the thought. That could be interesting.

This whole situation was bleak.

He wondered if all he had to do was bite her and everything would return to her? He could share everything with her. She would not be able to deny it then. What he worried about was would she even let him touch her to give him that chance to even try? He could sense her hate, fear and distrust of him. He would have to work very hard at rebuilding that trust he supposed. He wasn't about to force himself on her just to get her to see things the way they really were.

The fact that she'd dreamt of them together was positive though. He could tell it had aroused her; so there must still be something there on her end. Perhaps she wasn't as immune to him as she had let on to him. That and the fact that she was asking him questions was also a good sign. He could tell she was very frustrated and confused though.

Vegeta sighed deeply. He knew this would not be easy and he had no clue how to fix it. He would have to be extremely patient with her, something he knew he did not excel at. This would be the ultimate test to their bond. He was convinced that there was still enough there that he could work with that. It would just take him some time. He just hoped he had the patience to fix this completely. He wondered briefly what if she never regained her memories of them? Could he deal with having a mate that despised him? He wasn't sure. He decided that he could deal with having to make new memories with her should she not remember him. He just had to find a way to convince her that he wasn't the horrible monster they had convinced her he was.

He growled again and decided to meditate. He needed to clear his mind of all of this if he was going to be able to defeat Frieza within the next few hours. He could not be distracted. He would deal with Bulma and decide the best course of action where she was concerned once he got her out of here. In the meantime, he needed his head free and clear of all his anxieties. He was confident in his abilities, but not so stupid as to believe this battle would be easy. Even with Kakarott's help, they may have more than they had bargained for in this battle. It would be the most difficult battle of his life and he knew that. Failure was not an option.

Vegeta sat there and cleared his thoughts. He was ready. Now all he had to do was hope Bulma came and let him out and turn off this damned collar. Once she did that, there would be no stopping him.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Warning in this chapter for disturbing themes and some language.
> 
> Also, a HUGE thank you to fellow author Dragonbabezee for beta-ing this chapter for me! I am a HUGE fan of her work and was truly honored that she so kindly agreed to help me out in writing the upcoming fight scenes since I cannot write fighting. Like at all. So I am very thankful! If you haven't already, check out her epic somewhat AU Mirai timeline novel Brokendown Universe. It is a beautifully crafted and written fic with tons of twists and turns rather than your typical depressing Mirai timeline fic. I highly recommend it! It like consumed me for days until I finished it. Check it out!! It is my most favorite fiction to date and I cannot say enough good things about it! Just read it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 27**_

Bulma made her way carefully and quietly down the halls of Frieza's massive ship. She only vaguely remembered where the ship deck was. She sighed in frustration, looking at a map on the wall next to what appeared to be an elevator. She'd been wandering around aimlessly a good hour, she estimated. She had contemplated taking down her wall and asking Vegeta how to get there but stubbornly dismissed the idea.

She hasn't missed the sense of amusement radiating from him after that dream she'd had about them. _**How embarrassing!**_ She lamented to herself. The last thing she needed now was asking him for help. She'd find the ship dock all on her own without him.

Bulma studied the map on the wall. Everything was written in a language foreign to her, and even then, it wasn't a very good map to begin with. Nothing gave away much. Not even her current location. It was just a large oval with a bunch of squares and rectangles. There were five levels on the ship from what she could tell. She was able to make out Frieza's throne room on the map; and she knew the science wing was two levels down beneath that. Her room was the same level as Frieza's throne room as well.

Bulma decided the dock had to be either on the top or the bottom level. As she analyzed the map, she had a brief sense of déjà vu when she remembered Vegeta telling her that the barracks were down below. _**When did he tell her that?**_ She wondered with a slight frown. It hadn't been earlier that day; though today was already a blur to her. She thought back on the memory and recalled taking an elevator when she had arrived here and for whatever reason, Vegeta had told her that the barracks were down below.

She decided to go with that and take a peek upstairs. She sighed as she pushed the elevator button and waited patiently for the elevator, praying not to run into anyone.

 _ **Damn it!**_ She cursed internally as the elevator doors opened, revealing Lord Frieza.

"Why hello, Ms. Briefs," he greeted. "Fancy running into you here."

"My Lord," Bulma nodded.

"And what are you up to at such a late hour as this?"

"I was," Bulma started. "I was heading back to the lab, my Lord. I could not sleep and had a brilliant idea to add on to our project that we have been working on. Bit by the inspiration bug you could say. I wanted to jot it all down before I forgot it."

"I see," Frieza replied, watching her closely in a manner that made her feel uncomfortable. "And just what did you have in mind?"

 _ **Shit!**_ "Well, I remembered on my planet we had these ships called stealth bombers. They could not be detected on any radar of any kind so enemies had the element of surprise." She explained, telling him the first military thing that happened to cross her mind.

"A cloaking device. Yes. You are already working on that for our soldiers battle ships," he nodded.

"Well, I thought why not give this ship that ability?" she said quickly.

"Hmmm. That is an interesting idea." He nodded. "And what of the laser weapon?"

"It would be concealed as well." Bulma nodded. "But I have actually been giving it a lot of thought these past few days, a laser isn't really that special. I have thought up something much better and much more damaging than a laser."

"You have my attention. What is it you have in mind, my dear?"

"A nuclear bomb," she replied quickly.

"And just what is that?" Frieza asked with interest.

"It's a bomb that creates an explosion so powerful it could decimate an entire planet."

"I can do that already with the energy contained within my little finger, my dear," Frieza replied in a bored tone.

"True, but this way you wouldn't have to expend any of your own energy. Plus, if there was a planet you wanted to destroy, you could just send the bomb in stealth mode to do it instead of wasting valuable time and energy on space travel. You could conceal it. No one would even see it coming."

"Hmmm. I like that," Frieza nodded, a small grin taking shape. "I could control the masses from anywhere in the galaxy without even having to lift a finger."

"You could, yes," Bulma replied.

"Does Dr. Gero know anything of this wonderful weapon?"

"He probably does. I would assume he would, anyway. Everyone on our planet knew about it and feared it," Bulma shrugged.

"I wonder why he did not tell me of this possibility?" Frieza mused, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously.

"He more than likely figured you wouldn't be interested. You said so yourself that you have the power to decimate an entire planet with the point of your finger," Bulma said. She had only wanted to distract him from enquiring of her wandering around.

"Perhaps." Frieza conceded. "And you know the theory behind such a thing?"

"More or less, yea." Bulma nodded. "I've never actually done it myself, but I'm sure I could figure it out. I am a genius after all."

"You most certainly are," Frieza chuckled. "Either way, I am most intrigued, my dear." He finished, smiling at her. "How did it go escorting Vegeta back to his quarters? He did not give you any hassle I hope."

Bulma shrugged, wanting to choose her words carefully. She didn't trust Vegeta, but she had promised to help him. "He was alright."

"Just alright?" Frieza pressed. "He did not try to change your opinion or poison your mind against me?"

"He tried to persuade me, yes," Bulma admitted. "However I can see through his lies."

"Can you now?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. "Tell me, what did you feel when you saw him?"

"I felt nothing."

"Nothing?" he repeated, narrowing his eyes at her. "I find that somewhat difficult to believe. You were so upset over his arrival earlier and in the days leading up to it. Now you feel nothing?"

"Well, maybe not nothing. He pisses me off," she admitted, looking down at her hands. "I, I just feel really anxious and angry in his presence," she said truthfully. That was probably the best way to describe how he'd made her feel, though she felt he didn't need to know that she also found him very physically attractive, that his presence made her uncomfortable; not only because she hated him but because she didn't trust herself around him. Not after that dream, anyway.

"Yes, Vegeta does have that effect. He is rather insufferable at times. I am glad you were so accepting of the truth about him; he is an extremely selfish and self destructive individual. In the end, I am afraid, he cannot be counted upon. It saddens me deeply when I think of how much he manipulated you," Frieza said almost soothingly. "Both you and your child will have a most brilliant future here, unlike on Vegeta-sei."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, Vegeta never told you?" Frieza asked in surprise. "It is strictly forbidden to produce half-breed Saiyans, especially with royal blood. What a contamination! The Saiyans as a race are so barbaric in their thinking and beliefs. Your child would have never been accepted in their society and most likely would have been euthanized almost immediately following his birth. And on the very narrow off chance he was spared, he would have been nothing more than a slave his whole life, with no future and no prospects, I am afraid."

Bulma gasped, but something nagged at the back of her mind that this wasn't entirely correct. She hadn't missed Vegeta's concern and relief when he had touched her and checked in on the child's progress. He had not recoiled in disgust. He had smiled somewhat and had noted with pride that the child would be strong. Why would he act like that if the child would be destroyed? No, she had a feeling that Frieza was wrong. Vegeta had not acted like a man who did not care for their well being. He had even told her he would not hurt her and for whatever reason, she believed him. She didn't quite trust him, but she believed him enough that she decided that he could get her out of here, and the first chance she got she would be leaving him as well.

"Now, now my dear," Frieza said comfortingly. "I will ensure that your child is kept safe and has an excellent station in life. Nothing will befall either of you."

"Thank you." Was all she said, not wanting to give away her doubts on his word with regards to her child. Was there no one she could fully trust?

"You must be very tired my dear, you are looking somewhat peaked," Frieza noted, watching her intently. "No doubt this has been a most trying day for you. I do not wish for you to exhaust yourself. You are an extremely valuable commodity what with your brilliant mind and the child you carry. As I said, you have a glorious future ahead of yourselves. I will deny you nothing, so long as you remain loyal to me."

"I am grateful, my lord," Bulma said feeling very uncomfortable. She truly had no idea what was the best thing at the moment; she felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Lord Frieza seemed to be kind and generous and seemed to have her and her child's future best interests at heart, but at this exact moment, she felt alarm bells sounding off, accompanied with an uncomfortable drop in her gut. By contrast, the thought of leaving with Vegeta made her feel nervous and just the mere thought of him made her hackles rise. "And touched by your concern and generosity, however I will not be at the lab long. Only long enough to jot down a few notes and equations. I will not be able to sleep if I don't."

"My, what a strong work ethic you have. I am impressed." He nodded appreciatively. "Very well, see to it you don't tire yourself out and get some rest."

"Of course, my Lord," she nodded, stepping into the elevator. Assuming Lord Frieza may be suspicious still, she pushed the elevator button to head to the floor of the lab just in case he stayed and observed which floor she was getting off on. Maybe her father was there, looking for her? Either way, she decided it was just as well: she needed to grab the key to Vegeta's Ki collar. She could manually shut it off, as she had hidden a switch in it; but he would still need a key to unlock it so that he could take it off. She exhaled in relief when the elevator doors opened and there was no one there.

Bulma headed over to her work station, opened the drawer and discreetly slipped the key in her pocket. As she went to close it, a blue sparkle caught her eye. She frowned and picked up the delicate ring, examining it for a moment; it was beautiful. It was a square cut blue stone the same color as her hair with two smaller black stones on either side. She had tossed it in the drawer in a fit of anger a few days ago when she had woken up. She wasn't sure why, but she decided to bring it with her. She closed the drawer and left, slipping it on her ring finger on her left hand for the time being; that's the finger it had been on when she had taken it off.

Noticing that the lab was empty, she quickly grabbed a sheet of blank paper and poorly drew out a crude schematic for a stealth bomber and a poorly-balanced chemical equation for the beginnings of a nuclear bomb. Just in case Dr. Gero did not know how to do it, she did not want to leave it lying around. She also decided to leave it on her desk incase Lord Frieza came back to verify her story. She added a few notes scribbled here and there to look like she had put a lot of thought into it and then left the lab as quickly as she could.

 _ **Vegeta?**_ she called out hesitantly.

 _ **What?**_ he replied after a few moments.

_**I'm leaving the lab to go find Kakarott now.** _

_**Now? What the hell have you been doing all this time?**_ he asked irritably.

 _ **I was trying to find the ship dock, you big jerk! And then I ran into Lord Frieza who wanted to know what I was doing wandering around. So I had to lie and tell him I had this great idea that I had to write down or I'd never be able to sleep so then I had to go to the lab and write some of it down just in case he didn't believe me and comes to check. He-**_ Bulma explained in a huff.

 _ **Alright!**_ he interrupted her. _**The short version would have sufficed. Hurry up!**_

 _ **I am! I don't know where I am going,**_ she admitted.

 _ **Come back down here,**_ he said.

_**But I have to find Kakarott and my father.** _

_**Never mind them. I do not want you wandering the ship by yourself. It isn't safe.** _

_**I'm fine. I just don't know which way to go. Is it on the top floor? The maps here suck.** _

_**No. It isn't,**_ he replied. _**Just head back down here and let me out. I will escort you there myself**_ _ **.**_

_**Why can't you just tell me where it is?** _

_**Because you wandering around the ship all alone is not a good idea.** _

_**Why not?** _

_**Because it isn't! Now just get down here!**_ he growled irritably.

 _ **Fine!**_ she snapped at him and began heading back down the hall and back to the elevator. She didn't want to waste any more time arguing with him. She just wanted to use him to get off this damn ship so that she and her baby would be safe. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, she trusted him that much, but once they were out of here she would leave. She wasn't going to be fooled a second time by him.

Bulma exited the elevator and headed into the dungeon, where Vegeta was standing on the other side of the cell door impatiently waiting for her.

"It took you long enough," he huffed, his face set in a deep scowl.

Bulma looked at him a moment, wondering if this was such a good idea. He looked rather menacing at the moment. How could she be sure he wouldn't hurt her?

"Well?" he growled. "Are you going to let me out or just stare at me?"

"I'm letting you out, yes," she said, punching in a key code for his room. "But you will take me to the shipping dock."

Vegeta nodded and reached out of his room the second the door had opened, pulling her back inside with him. "And you are going to shut this damned collar off."

"Not before you take me to the shipping dock," she said firmly, frowning at him for yanking her around.

"No," he said, shaking his head and closing the door just enough that if someone glanced at it, it would not appear as though it had been open. "You will shut it off now before I take you anywhere. You will do it now," he said, backing her into a corner.

"And why would I do that?" she asked angrily, realizing that she was trapped now between him and the wall with nowhere else to go.

"Because should anything happen between here and there, my potential will not be locked down."

"I don't trust you," she said after thinking about it for a moment.

"And why not?"

"What would stop you from hurting me?"

Vegeta shrugged and crossed his arms. "Nothing, I suppose. However, what is stopping me at this very moment from not hurting you, hmm?"

"Without me, you'll never get that thing off. I was the one who designed it, remember?"

"I guess. However, I could threaten you," he replied with a smirk, walking closer to her.

"You'll get nowhere that way."

"No?" he asked in a mocking tone, cocking his head to the side. "Well, what is the fun in that?"

Bulma frowned at him, realizing that he was just playing with her. Damn him and his sexy smirk and dark eyes! He was still scowling at her, but she could tell from his eyes he wasn't angry. She wasn't even sure how she knew from that, but she did. She didn't like how he was now invading her personal space, but didn't have the strength to push him away, and had nowhere to go to put any space between them; he had her trapped and he knew it. _**Damn him!**_ She cursed to herself. "Screw you," she said angrily, knowing it was a pitiful comeback, but couldn't think of anything else to say to him.

"Is that an invitation?" he asked with a dry chuckle and a raised eyebrow, amusement flitting in the depths of his dark eyes.

"No!" she hissed. "Letting you touch me in the first place was a mistake. It won't happen again."

"It did not seem like a mistake to me," he said, his frown deepening again.

"Well, you made it very clear to me before that it was. You regretted everything. All of it," she said accusingly. "I tried to find you, and you were angry and told me how you'd regretted all of it. You-"

"I was angry you risked your life and safety in the manner that you attempted to find me," he interrupted her quietly in a very deep tone that made her stomach flip. "I told you that. I would have rather you remain lost to me than have you caught and end up here, though that is what came to pass anyway."

"Alright, fine," she replied, scowling at him. "But you still made me feel like I was nothing more than a bother to you; just a weakness and a stumbling block. There's a lot I don't remember, but if I think hard on it, I remember wanting nothing more than to find you for almost a year; to show you that Kakarott and I had been fine. You ignored me and broke our bond, and then told me you had no room in your life for me once I had found you."

Vegeta sighed in frustration. "We do not have time for this, Woman," he said irritably. "We need to get out of here. We will hash everything out on the ship on our way back to Callisto. Alright?"

"No," she replied firmly, shaking her head. "We're going to hash this out now, end it on that, and then I will help you out of here and leave. You will not follow me; I want to be left alone. But I do need to know what the hell happened."

"You will not be going anywhere without me, and we are wasting very valuable time here talking about nonsense," he growled, beginning to grow impatient with her.

"Well, either we talk about it now, or I'll leave and go find that ship all on my own and just leave you here, conveniently forgetting where that off switch is," she replied haughtily, sticking her chin out.

"You will not be leaving here without shutting it off!" he growled, placing his hands on either side of her against the wall and leaning in menacingly.

"Fine," she shrugged petulantly. "And I won't shut it off until we discuss it, so we're going to be here a while then, I guess."

Vegeta sighed heavily and hung his head in aggravation. "What does it matter at this point? You've obviously decided you want nothing more to do with me. You do not recall anything but the horrible things they have embellished. Nothing I have told you thus far has swayed your decision, so why rehash this now?"

"Because you told me earlier to not blindly accept what they are telling me," she replied softly. "You told me to look into this on my own so I am."

"I appreciate that, but now is not the time," he said, looking back up at her, noting that she wasn't scowling at him anymore.

"I can't think of a better time. No one knows I'm here. As far as Frieza knows, I'm either in the lab or asleep and you're here. There is a tracking device on that thing too, you know. So if he decides to look in on you, it'll show that you're here."

"We cannot discuss this on the ship when all is said and done?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm leaving. I'm leaving you here and you can fend for yourself. You'll be fine, I know you will."

"And where will you go?" he asked tonelessly.

"Probably to go find Chi-Chi." She shrugged. "Then away where you can't find me."

"Woman, the universe is not a safe place for you to go out and about, gallivanting wherever you please," he said looking at her intensely, resisting the urge to touch her. "Not only that, but we still share a bond. I will find you. You will not be able to hide forever."

"Then sever it! Or what's left of it," she snapped back. "I don't want it and I can't believe I agreed to such a thing to begin with. My god I must have been naïve and pathetic!"

"It does not work that way."

"It must. You severed most of it all on your own before!" she shot back. "It couldn't have been that difficult. The doctor severed most of it already; I'm sure with a little hard work, you could finish it off yourself. I would, but I don't know enough about it!"

"Correction, I _thought_ I had, and I only did that because I thought you were dead. The way a bond works, when one mate passes, the other follows shortly afterwards; I had wanted to destroy Frieza and my father and the rest responsible for your death before I died too."

"Even though I kept trying?"

"Woman, we went through this many months ago," he said warily.

"And I don't remember!" she insisted. "So we are going to go through it again!"

"Fine!" he shouted. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you love me?"

Vegeta glared at her long and hard and growled before answering. "You know the answer to that."

"No, I don't!" she said with an equally piercing glare. "I know that I loved you, for some reason. I'm having a hard time understanding why. You tell me I'm a weakness and that you don't have time for me. You rejected our child; ignored me for almost a year. Let's see, what else?-"

"Enough!" he growled. He really did not want to do this here.

"Either you do, or you don't, Vegeta," she pressed. "I don't see what the problem is; unless you are ashamed of it."

"I am not ashamed of you," he sighed. What did it matter now? She had clearly made her choice. He was not about to demean himself and beg for her, only to have her stomp out and leave. However when he thought about it from her point of view, he wouldn't blame her for leaving. Still, he would not allow it. At best, he may give her a head start on him before pursuing her. Then he would make things right with her. Not here. Not now. "I…"

"What?" she asked, frowning at him as he cut his thought short and stepped away from her, looking at the door.

"Frieza is coming," he said quietly, grabbing her and shoving her up against the wall next to the door where she would not be seen, and quietly closing the door.

 _ **Shit!**_ She said to him.

 _ **I told you we did not have time for this bullshit!**_ he raged angrily at her. _**But no, you want to sit here all night and discuss your blasted feelings!**_

_**Don't blame me! You're the one who wouldn't cooperate!** _

_**You were the one who wouldn't just shut this damned collar off like I asked! If you had done that, we would have been long gone by now. Idiot woman!** _

_**I refuse to take all the blame over this!** _

_**Where is the switch?**_ he asked as calmly as he could manage. He was beyond angry at the moment; angry at her and angry that he had to at least talk to Frieza. He may not be able to fight him now, but he didn't want to be anywhere near him without being able to defend himself at least.

To his surprise, Bulma did not argue, but reached for him, slid her hand underneath the right side of the collar and felt her click something. She retracted her hand and shrugged at him with an innocent look on her face.

 _ **Thank you,**_ he grumbled grudgingly. _**Was that so difficult?**_

 _ **Whatever!**_ she replied, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms petulantly, leaning against the wall in the corner as far from the door as possible. She did not want to been seen by Lord Frieza. If he looked right into the room from the other side, she shouldn't be able to be seen, and she moved away enough that she hoped she wouldn't be smelt either.

"Hello, Vegeta," Frieza greeted. "I thought it would be most rude of me to not drop in and see how you were this evening."

"I am fine," Vegeta replied. "There is no need to go out of your way to check on me."

"Oh, it is no bother at all I can assure you, my dear Prince," Frieza replied, crossing his arms, looking him over. "As a guest on my ship once again, I would like to ensure everything is to your liking."

Vegeta chuckled darkly. "What's not to like? I have all the basic amenities and am enjoying the scenery."

"True, but I was wondering how you were holding up?" Frieza taunted. "I know you must be beyond devastated over losing your mate. I for one find it quite amusing. I never saw the point in such things, and you never struck me as the type to want to settle down with a woman. Really, Vegeta, why tie yourself down that way? I can provide everything you could ever want or need: riches, companionship. I am most lonely now that Zarbon is no longer a part of the fold. I was hoping you might step up and fill that void, but you have not."

"I am nobody's whore. Look elsewhere." Vegeta snarled. "Zarbon got exactly what he deserved."

"That may be, true. He always was very weak where attractive women were concerned. That woman of yours is beyond exquisite. I must admit that if my tastes ran that way, I may be tempted to take her as my mate. She is every bit the genius you professed her to be. With her at my side, I could have this entire universe under my thumb. It would be a most beneficial union, indeed," Frieza said calmly, watching Vegeta closely for any reaction. "That is why you chose her, was it not? I had a very difficult time trying to figure that out at first. Why would one of the most powerful and promising warriors in the universe choose such a physically weak individual, in every manner that matters, as his mate? It plagued me, actually.

"Especially once I found out that she was alive and that you had left your service under me to return for her. I was initially worried for your well being; I care very much for you, Vegeta. I know you do not return the sentiment, but I do care very much for your well being. I was so relieved to know you were alright when Captain Ginyu discovered your whereabouts and that your woman was indeed alive and well. I assume it was she who had caused so much grief with regards to the bombs going off on Bellatrix? They miraculously stopped going off once you disappeared and took up with her once again. Since I now know that you ignored her all those months, I assume she was doing it in hopes that you may be sent eventually to investigate the situation. Am I right?"

Vegeta merely scowled at him, refusing to acknowledge or deny anything.

"She is indeed a genius of epic proportions just as you said. I was not disappointed once she was able to work in the lab. So I now understand your insistence on taking her as a mate. I am pleased to add her to my team of brilliant scientists that are helping my cause to enslave the universe. With her around, I know I will succeed. I have a feeling she has not yet begun to tap into her full potential, and now what with my brilliant doctor effectively turning her against you thereby ridding her of those sickening amorous feelings she seemed to hold for you, you are no longer a distraction for her and I have gained her unwavering loyalty.

"However, I am most excited over the prospective birth of a half Saiyan hybrid child, the possibilities shall be endless! I will assume all responsibility where your son is concerned. I shall raise him as my own and succeed with him where I failed with you, Vegeta. I so wanted to give you a position and power beyond your understanding. It was simple, really; all I wanted was your loyalty, Vegeta. That was it; yet you refused to conform and fall into line time and time again."

"I will never yield to you," Vegeta said angrily. "And neither will my heir."

"Never is a long time, Vegeta," Frieza chuckled. "Where are my manners? Come with me, we shall discuss things in a more civilized manner. I am sure you must be hungry. As a guest on my ship, I will not leave you to go to bed hungry. Come. We shall set matters straight," he said, punching in the code to open the door.

"I am not hungry. I would much rather remain here."

"Oh, come on, Vegeta. I so miss our time together," Frieza said, mock pouting. "Surely you would want to catch up on days past? I am most curious to know how you could find someone as weak as your little mate satisfying to you; especially after what we shared?"

"I have no interest," Vegeta replied with distaste, alarm trickling through him. He did not wish to discuss any of that with him, ever, especially with Bulma present.

"I am simply fascinated, Vegeta. She had indicated to me that you had never lifted a finger to hurt her while you had her way with her."

"That is not your business."

"You see, it intrigues me very much. Did I teach you nothing of the satisfying result of mixing pleasure with pain during our time Vegeta? From what I recall, you found the results quite gratifying," he said with a sick smile.

Frieza's words sent and explosion of rage and humiliation through Vegeta's veins, and his heart pounded for fear of what Bulma would make of them. What more would the monster reveal if Vegeta let him go on talking? He wanted to power up and blast a hole through him, but he couldn't with Bulma in such close vicinity. He'd have to get him far away from her before attempting it; and before Frieza let any more mention of those particular _lessons_ slip. His stomach twisted at the thought, but he shook his head, trying to calm himself. "On second thought, I am hungry," he lied.

"I knew you'd see things my way, Vegeta." He smirked. "Come with me. We'll eat and drink."

Vegeta quickly glanced at Bulma, who had a look on her face he wasn't quite sure how to read. _**Get out of here. Go back to your quarters. I will deal with Frieza and then come get you,**_ he said to her, following Frieza out of his room.

_**But what about my parents?** _

_**They are fine. Kakarott will ensure they have made it to the ship safely. I am sure he is already there. I am not sure if he was able to locate your mother or not, but in any case, I am sure he was able to get your father there safely, where they will both await our arrival.** _

_**So let me go. Tell me how to get there.** _

_**No. Go back to your quarters and wait for me there, I will not tell you again. Just do it!**_ He said angrily. She had never been this stubborn or argumentative with him. _**It is the safest place for you. If you want to get away from me so badly, I will let you go after this is finished.**_ He added after hesitating a moment. Of course he wasn't going to just let her go. However, if that's what he had to say to get her to just go back to her own room where she would be safe, then so be it. He would deal with the rest later.

_**Fine. I'll go and wait there. But you'd better win.** _

_**I will** _ _**.** _ _**I do not intend to lose.** _

Bulma could not help but take heart from his confidence and smiled to herself as he left. She waited until they were out of sight and a few moments longer for them to have taken the elevator before heading out of Vegeta's room and back to her quarters. She decided she would trust him and wait.

She could not stay here. She hadn't missed what Frieza had implied; what the hell had he done to Vegeta? She had sensed something horribly sinister going on between them. She knew she had not imagined it. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what, but whatever it was, Vegeta obviously hadn't wanted her to find out. He had changed the subject and had decided to leave. It was disturbing her. There was no way she would allow her child to be born and raised in this environment! She already knew that, but she hadn't known that Frieza's sickness extended to…what exactly?

She felt the hair on the back of her neck raise on end at the thought. She searched the recesses of her memory and could not recall Vegeta ever mentioning anything to what Frieza had alluded to before to her.

Come to think of it, she tried to think of when they had met. She could not remember. She could remember her planet being destroyed and being attacked by a handsome green alien and making her escape down below the ship and hiding with the other humans that had been taken. She remembered being sold at an auction. Toma. She remembered Toma. He had been so kind to her. She remembered having to perform every night and hating it, but being thankful she had not been forced into doing anything else.

Bulma thought some more and the next thing she remembered was Vegeta beating that handsome green man who had tried to violate her when she had first been taken **,** to death. She remembered that with disturbing clarity. She frowned. Had they met at the tavern? Why could she not remember anything between arriving at the tavern and Vegeta pummeling that guy? Had that been the first time she and Vegeta had met? Had he saved her from him? It was the first memory of him that she seemed to have. It was frightening and horrific, but it was a memory of him none the less.

She frowned as she tried to remember, but came up short. She remembered waking up in a small spacepod with Kakarott. She could not remember having met him either, but did not feel alarm or anxiety about him. She recalled returning to the tavern and trying to contact Vegeta through their bond,and him dismissing her. She could remember the feelings of despair and abandonment about it.

The next thing that came to mind was Vegeta roughly shoving her up against a wall on the street and then shaking her. He had been angry, _**but why?**_ She wondered. She remembered him coming to visit her in a hotel room and arguing with him. She remembered him saying that she was nothing more than a weakness and a distraction to him and that he'd had no place in his life for either. She also remembered him mentioning that he hadn't thought things through before taking her as his mate, that he'd regretted her. She remembered it clear as day, yet, he had told her just hours ago that he had gone after her and things had been perfect between them. She could not remember that. She remembered how hurt and disappointed she had been that he had wanted her to terminate her pregnancy. She remembered that vividly and now all she knew was that she was here. She remembered nothing in between.

She sighed in irritation. This whole situation was so confusing and while she wanted to go against her better judgment and trust him, it angered her that he couldn't tell her how he felt about her. Why was that? He had apologized for not telling her he loved her before all of this, insisted she knew how he felt before all of this yet would not or could not tell her that now. Why was that? That is what bothered her the most. If he had at least confirmed it with her earlier when she had confronted him with it instead of avoiding it, she would have felt much better. Now she was second guessing her decision. If the guy couldn't tell her he loved her, when what was the point? Though if she was honest with herself and thought back on that dream she'd had and the way he'd touched her, she knew he must have felt something for her. Even the way he'd kissed her and touched her. He obviously cared for her in some capacity.

Even Frieza had alluded to and more or less admitted that she had been in love with him and that he had treated and handled her with care. He was being crude, but she had not missed the reference and meaning behind what he had said.

Bulma sighed in frustration as she stepped into the empty elevator. She punched the button that would take her back to the floor where her quarters were and hoped Vegeta was right; that going back there was the safest place for her.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta followed Frieza back to his throne room.

"It must be eating at you that your mate wants nothing to do with you."

"It is for the best," Vegeta said.

"I agree," Frieza replied, grabbing a glass of wine for himself. "Women are a nuisance. This woman in particular has caused nothing but trouble; for not only you, but your father and myself. However, now that she works for me, she will be an asset rather than a nuisance. If you are good and follow my wishes, I may be kind enough to allow you to use her on occasion."

Vegeta clenched his teeth and fists in disgust.

"I am sure we can strike up some sort of agreement where she is concerned. Should this brat you conceived prove to be useful and as promising as I am anticipating it to be, I may allow it just for the purpose of acquiring another hybrid. Then I would have two loyal soldiers at my side to keep this universe in line," Frieza continued, sipping his wine as casually as though he were discussing a business deal. He smirked at the look of contempt on Vegeta's face. "Oh, don't look so upset. I gave you the opportunity to stand at my right hand. You had the most amazing potential. Still do. However you choose to waste your attentions on a woman and have forgotten everything I tried to teach you over the years."

"You taught me nothing," Vegeta spat.

"Nothing? I find that rather harsh. All of the time we spent together and you say you learned nothing?"

"Nothing I care to remember," Vegeta said, biding his time, wanting to make sure Frieza's guard was completely let down before making the first move. As it was, it was a miracle he had not noticed that he was no longer stifled by the collar. He was suppressing his energy as much as he could, but would have assumed that if Frieza tried, he would be able to sense that he was not as low as he should be. "You ruined my youth. Taught me nothing but pain and death. I worked my ass off for you in hopes that you may leave me be, but the harder I worked the more you tormented me."

"Oh, Vegeta, always so melodramatic." Frieza sighed, looking him over in such a way he had to resist snarling at him. "Would you like a glass of wine, my dear Prince?"

"No, I do not," he replied, watching him, trying to keep his emotions and anger in check. He could not afford to lose his head before he even started this battle.

"Oh, come now, Vegeta. I like to think of today as the beginning of a wonderful partnership. I have your family here. I wish to include you into mine. This does not have to be a bad thing. Why do you act as though it is?" Frieza asked, pouring him a glass of wine anyway and handing it to him. "I shall ensure a bright future for your child and that brilliant woman of yours. Should you fall into line and do exactly as I say, nothing will befall either of them. You may even return home to your father and take your place as King; however the woman and child will remain here. You will run your planet and go on missions as I decide. You will not take a mate; not even that exquisite female your father had chosen for you."

"I already have a mate," he growled.

"And that mate wants nothing to do with you the last I spoke with her," Frieza replied with a smug grin. "Such a shame. The two of you were such a handsome couple. In any case, now that your union is no more, you can begin to put all of that behind you and focus on serving me without distraction. Your woman is here, safe and sound and will remain as such, so long as you keep your end of this bargain. In fact, let's have her come down here and celebrate our new agreement. Since it includes her as well, I feel it very important that she understand the terms of this."

"There is no need to bring her here," Vegeta said; that was all he needed. "She will do as you say. She is finished with me no thanks to your doctor."

"No, I think she should be here to witness what you are agreeing to, since it concerns both her and your unborn child. I would hate to have one of you in breach of our understanding and then have someone hurt over it," Frieza said, shaking his head with an evil grin. He picked up his scouter off the nearby table and placed it on his ear. "Captain Ginyu. Yes, I am fine. Please do me a favor and bring Miss Briefs down to my throne room. There is some urgent business I have to discuss with her. Yes. Immediately."

Frieza disconnected his scouter and smiled at Vegeta. "She will be here momentarily to celebrate with us."

-0-0-0-

Bulma was almost at her quarters by this point. She was so tired; between all the drama today that had happened and her pregnancy, she was bone exhausted but could not shake the anxious feeling at the pit of her stomach. Vegeta could be heading down to get her at any moment. When he came, she knew they would have to hurry. Frieza's men would not be happy their leader had been destroyed.

What if Vegeta couldn't defeat Frieza? She wondered. Then what? She should have never listened to him and returned to her quarters! Now if he failed she would be stuck here forever. Something in the back of her mind told her that he wouldn't fail though. She wasn't sure what it was, but she decided to cling onto it. Vegeta had been so adamant that he would get her out of here once he dealt with Frieza. She had felt the confidence radiating off of him as he left his cell with Frieza. She hoped he was ok. She still could not shake the feeling that something beyond horrible lurked between the two. Whatever it was, now that she'd had time to think about it, it was bothering her more than she wanted to admit. She had initially shaken it off as concern for the future well being of her child, but knew deep down it was more than that. She was worried for Vegeta. What had happened to him? Was he safe right now? Why had he not wanted her to know?

She decided she would lay down when she made it back to her quarters. Just for a moment; she was so tired. She would lie down until Vegeta came to get her. She would wait for him. She didn't know why she was putting in so much trust in Vegeta, but she was.

 _ **Woman. Where are you?**_ Vegeta asked, a slight edge to his voice.

_**I'm almost back at my quarters like you told me to be. Why?** _

_**Lord Frieza wants you here** _ _**.** _

_**What? Why?** _

_**He has proposed an arrangement and wants you here. He is sending Captain Ginyu to come bring you here. Go and get to the ship.** _

_**What? Vegeta, I'm almost back at my quarters! I'm tired. I need to lie down!**_ she said in annoyance.

_**Get to the dock. It's on the second floor. Not far from the elevator.** _

_**Oh, so now you tell me?! And it was that easy the whole time?** _

_**Never mind! Just go! I was wrong. It's best you get off this ship.** _

Bulma didn't say anything to him for a moment and swallowed her anger. She hadn't been expecting that from him. If Lord Frieza was sending someone to bring her to him that was a bad sign. A very bad sign. Had he beaten Vegeta? Now what? _**Are you alright?**_ She asked him, stepping back into the elevator.

 _ **I am fine. Nothing has happened yet,**_ he replied. _**Just try and get yourself out of here. Tell Kakarott to go. Get as much distance as you can.**_

_**What about you?** _

_**Ha! I will be fine and catch up with you later on. Did you forget who I am, Woman?**_ he replied arrogantly. _**I am the Prince of Saiyans, the Legendary. I cannot be beat.**_

Bulma rolled her eyes. _**Uh huh. Alright then. I'm just in the elevator now.**_

_**Good. I will come find you when this is done, Woman. Make no mistake about it. Then we will set matters straight between us one way or another. You have my word.** _

Bulma felt her stomach flip flop at his words. She wasn't sure how to respond. On one hand, here she had her golden chance to get away from him. On the other, she found his desire to try and work things out between them endearing. He was about to enter into a serious battle and still found the time to tell her in his own way he was concerned for her well being and wanted things to be right between them. She couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips. He hadn't told her he loved her, but he wanted her to be safe. That said something, didn't it?

The smile disappeared off her face the second the elevator doors opened and she saw one of Frieza's henchmen on the other side. _**Oh, Shit!**_ she thought.

"Well there you are!" he said to her. "Lord Frieza sent me out to go find you."

"He did, did he?"

 _ **What?**_ Vegeta asked.

_**That guy is here. Right at the elevator.** _

_**Get away from him.**_ Vegeta said quickly. _**Talk your way out of it and get the hell out!**_

"Yes he did." Captain Ginyu nodded. "It concerns the Saiyan Prince I think. He asked for your presence in the matter."

"Oh, well, you see, I have something I need to get done," she said sweetly. "I'll head down right away as soon as I've tended to another matter."

"No, I have to bring you down there immediately, my dear. I'm afraid orders are orders," Captain Ginyu said, blocking the elevator exit.

"But this is an extremely important matter," Bulma objected.

"So is anything Lord Frieza requires," he said stepping into the elevator.

Bulma saw her chance and took it. She ducked under his arm and booked it down the hallway. She had no idea where she was, what floor this was or anything. She just ran, hoping to find a room she could duck into and hide.

She didn't get very far and the henchman that she was running from phased in front of her. "Now where do you think you're going?" he asked in amusement. "Lord Frieza's throne room isn't that way, my dear."

"I really don't think he needs to see me right now." Bulma said, nervously, backing away while looking for something, anything to throw at him. Unfortunately, the halls were bare.

"I don't know if he does or what," Captain Ginyu shrugged, following her. "But I was told by him personally, that he wanted to see you."

Bulma frowned and kicked him in the shin as hard as she could as he closed in on her and took off running down the hall again, back towards the elevator. Maybe the doors would close before he made it.

Ginyu growled and took off after her. He hurried as he saw her dart back into the elevator.

Bulma kept hitting the button to close the elevator repeatedly, hoping and praying it would close already. She exhaled in relief as the doors began to close but then cursed under her breath as Ginyu's arm blocked the door, prompting it to open again.

"There you are." He greeted cheerfully. "That wasn't very nice of you. I am only doing my job of escorting you safely to Lord Frieza's throne room. It's not safe for someone as delicate as yourself to be wandering the ship alone. So, be good now, and come with me," he said, grabbing her wrist in a vice grip and pushing the button to the third floor.

"Please don't," she said. "I just want to be left alone."

"No can do, my dear," Ginyu replied, yanking her closer to him. She fought back a yelp at the force of which he'd yanked her; thankful her arm didn't pop out of its socket.

 _ **He caught me,**_ she said to Vegeta. _**I tried to get away, but he's just too fast.**_

 _ **For fuck sake, Woman!**_ he growled.

 _ **Hey! I tried! This is all your fault anyway! I was only doing what you told me to do! If it had been up to me, I'd have gone straight to the ship dock, but no. You insisted I go back to my quarters!**_ she shouted mentally at him. She wasn't going to take the brunt of his annoyance. Especially since it had been her idea in the first place to head towards the ship dock and he had talked her out of it.

 _ **I know!**_ he snapped back at her. _**Just t**_ _ **ry and stay out of the way. When you see the first opportunity, I want you to leave though.**_

Bulma looked warily at Captain Ginyu as the elevator stopped on the third floor where Frieza's throne room was and let him lead her down the hall. _**Alright, then.**_ Was all she said.

-0-0-0-

"Ah, welcome, my dear." Lord Frieza greeted her.

"I found her in the hall." Captain Ginyu said, pushing her in front of him towards Frieza.

"She was working late in the lab, Ginyu, I hope I did not disrupt you my dear." Frieza said, ignoring Ginyu.

"Not at all, my Lord." Bulma replied cautiously. "I was headed back to my quarters for the evening."

"Good. Then you won't mind joining us for a little chat. It concerns you."

Bulma nodded and looked at Vegeta, who looked very tense.

"It does, does it?" She asked, casually, not setting foot further into the room just in case they started to fight. She wanted to head more into Vegeta's direction, but she remained. She didn't want to be in Vegeta's way and didn't want to give Lord Frieza any leverage against him either. So decided her neutral position was safest at the moment.

"Indeed it does," Frieza said, beckoning for her to come closer. "Come in my dear, I won't bite. And I can assure you, Vegeta is of no threat to your well being. This is a time to celebrate."

Bulma glared at Ginyu as he shoved her in closer towards Frieza. "What are we celebrating?" she asked in confusion, glancing ever so briefly at Vegeta, who looked like he was about ready to explode. He was currently watching Ginyu very carefully and did not look happy.

"Our union." Frieza replied happily, gesturing to all three of them in the room. "You see, Vegeta works for me. He will do as I say when I say. You and your child will remain here with me, your child under my tutelage, learning the ways of ruling an entire galaxy. I have no heir to speak of and since Vegeta has made it clear he wants nothing to do with me, I shall pass him over and bestow the honor to your child instead."

Bulma glanced at Vegeta again as she heard him growl deeply.

"He shall receive all the same treatment as you have, my dear Prince. He shall have all the opportunity in the universe I had offered to you." Frieza continued, sipping his wine casually. "However, the difference where I think I shall have the advantage with this child compared to you, Vegeta is I shall begin teaching him as a youth. He shall not be corrupted by you or his grandfather. You were already too set in your ways, too unyielding to be shaped into what I desired most. Now I may start from scratch.

"A fresh warrior. Untainted by your barbaric upbringing and undeserved sense of pride. Really, Vegeta, your father did you no favors by raising you to believe you were anything but a slave to me and my Empire. If anything, it has been your greatest downfall. That pride has gotten you nowhere. I tried to beat it out of you by any and all means possible, and while it is admirable that you possess such a strong sense of self and it gave me many hours of amusement, it is, in the end, such a waste. You choose to hang on to something that does not exist. You could have chosen to have pride in being my right hand and standing behind me as I continue my reign as galactic overlord, but you continue to deny the very thing you have been put on this universe for. That, my dear Prince, is to serve me." Frieza continued, walking up to Vegeta.

"Do you think I like to hurt you?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "Did it ever occur to you that I do tire of having to punish you time and again?"

Vegeta snarled at him. "I think the only thing you like to do is beat down and terrorize and destroy," he said quietly, the subject matter of this conversation once again, dangerously heading in a direction he did not want Bulma to be privy to. "I will be damned before I will ever submit to you willingly. And you will never have the opportunity to catch even a glimpse of _My_ heir. Mark my words, Frieza," he said dangerously.

"It hurts me that after all these years you still deny me so," said Frieza softly, leaning into Vegeta's space, causing the Saiyan to step back away from him. Frieza put a hand to Vegeta's cheek. "But not any longer. I do so like this little ki collar device. It suits you, my little humbled monkey."

Vegeta went rigid with suppressed rage and disgust. He tried to step away further but Frieza clamped a hand around his arm and pulled him closer. If he resisted enough to get away from Frieza, the lizard would know something was up.

"Ah-ah Vegeta. You have your collar; I have your female… There is no way to fight me now. You might claim to have forgotten my lessons to you, the things we shared…" Frieza ran his free hand down Vegeta's side and gently grasped the base of Vegeta's tail in his hand. "But I'm willing to teach them to you all over again. Perhaps your woman may find it enlightening as well for future reference. And wouldn't it be nice if both Father and Son could serve together under me? There would be no need to separate you. All you have to do I yield to me, quit denying me what I want and I will reward you."

As Vegeta felt the hideous tyrant's caress combined with his sick proposal, the rage he'd been holding back all his life unleashed wildly. Even the woman in Ginyu's grasp was forgotten for a second as he screamed wordlessly and pushed Frieza off him with all the grace of a cornered animal. He saw red, and could barely think as he stood over Frieza who tumbled back against his throne with a sudden look of shock on his face. Ever since Frieza had begun his unnatural interest in the young prince, all Vegeta had ever wanted was to fight the lizard off. He'd just never had the strength before. He stood, panting, torn between triumph and terror. But then he heard Bulma's gasp.

He looked over to her. She still seemed fine, but the horror in her face made a part of his soul run screaming in shame. He'd never wanted her to hear the worst part of what Frieza had done to him. And definitely not now, when she couldn't even remember that she loved him. How could he fix things with her now that she knew these things? Even if by some miracle she did regain her memories, would she still want him after knowing what had happened to him? How could she possibly still want him after that? How could she ever want him to touch her again? He shook with rage and shame and embarrassment.

Bulma blinked back tears as she picked up on the torrential downpour of emotions coming from Vegeta; the shame and self hatred over it. Even if they hadn't shared a bond, the look on his face said it all. _**It's not your fault.**_ She said to him cautiously, unsure if she should acknowledge this or not.

Ginyu was still staring open mouthed at Frieza on the ground. Vegeta came to his senses as he heard Frieza moan. The jig was up.

"How is it that your power is not stifled?" Frieza said, leaping back to his feet, all his suggestive tone replaced by anger, his features twisted into a hideous snarl.

"You think you are so clever! _My_ woman may have built this Ki collar, but it was also _My_ woman who shut it off!" said Vegeta proudly.

Frieza looked to Bulma. "Why you lying little bitch!" He leapt at her and Ginyu held her out towards him. Frieza never made it though. Vegeta tackled him to the ground and the two rolled together towards Bulma and Ginyu. She screamed and tried to jump into the air, but she was still firmly in Ginyu's grasp. Her feet cleared them and the tumbling bodies slammed into Ginyu's legs, knocking the man over and sending Bulma flying. She slid along the ground and fetched up against the wall, a bit bruised but unharmed.

Bulma looked up, still a bit dazed from the impact of hitting the wall. She looked over and saw that Vegeta and Frieza were grappling on the ground. For a second Vegeta looked like he had the upper hand, smashing his fist into Frieza's pink cheek and managing to elicit a cry from the monsters lips.

"Woman, get the hell out of here!" roared Vegeta. "Now!"

As Bulma scrambled to her feet Frieza roared, and Vegeta had the unpleasant sensation of Frieza exploding outwards underneath him, nearly doubling in size. Vegeta looked down in a confused manor and saw his enemy's face distort as it _grew_. "What the hell is this?"

Frieza's suddenly oversized hand grasped Vegeta by the front of his training suit. "Stupid little monkey. Bitten off more than you can chew, yet again." Even his voice was deeper. Normally Freiza was around the same size as Vegeta, but now Vegeta found himself straddling the massive chest of an eight-foot giant, and he could sense that Frieza's power level had increased in a similar manner. Vegeta had just enough time to be gripped by dread before Freiza head butted him.

Bulma screamed as she saw Vegeta knocked half senseless by the monster. As unpleasant as Frieza's purple-lipped, pink-faced countenance normally was, he hadn't looked truly monstrous. Now doubled in size, sporting foot long horns and thighs bulging with muscle, this was rectified.

He flung Vegeta off him and stood. Bulma was halfway to Vegeta when she realized how ridiculous this instinct to protect him was. Poor Vegeta. Whether he had treated her badly or not, it was clear that he was a victim of Frieza's and no-one deserved to be treated like he had been. Vegeta struggled to his elbows and spared her an exasperated glance.

_**What are you still doing here Woman? Did I not tell you to run! Go to the ship now! Nothing else matters.** _

_**But-** _

_**But nothing! There will be no point in me winning here if you and our child end up dead in the crossfire!** _

Bulma was stunned by the sentiment the words implied. _**Okay.** s_he said, and turned heel. As she ran she heard Frieza order Ginyu.

"Captain, don't let her go anywhere."

Even sprinting as fast as she could to the throne room door it was only a second before she felt the Captain's arms come crushing down around her again. "No!" she screamed in despair. She wasn't sure if Vegeta's low growl was mental or vocal or both.

"I'd give up trying to get away if I was you," suggested Ginyu. "A flimsy slip like you doesn't stand a chance." He then dragged her back into the room where Lord Frieza now stood at full height, glaring at her.

Vegeta got to his feet, feeling the situation spiraling out of his control. Now he'd have to fight Frieza, who was even _stronger_ , with Bulma in the same room! Why hadn't he sent her away to the ship in the first place? And how had he not known that Frieza could transform? Still, he hadn't had a chance stretch his own powers yet. He was done hiding and keeping his full potential to himself. If Frieza was laying all his cards down on the table, so was he.

"So you have another form to call on?" he asked, standing proudly. "I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you… Because so do I!" Despite Frieza's power increase he was still sure that his own outstripped it. He let the power of the Legendary rip through him, fuelled by his hatred and his fear.

Frieza's face slacked into surprise as the golden light of the Super Saiyan bathed him, but then relaxed once more. "So you can turn blonde, eh?" he said, smiling mockingly. "Well I still prefer brunettes, but go with whatever works for you my dear."


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a HUGE Thank you to Dragonbabezee for helping me out with awesome ideas for this fight and beta-ing for me! I am thrilled with her help and exciting contributions to these past two chapters! Trying to keep a fight scene entertaining is soo hard! I could not have done it without her! Once again, if you haven't checked out her story Broken Down Universe and her new fic Never Ever Land, do so!

 

_**CHAPTER 28** _

Kakarott had reached the ship a while ago with Yamcha and Bulma's parents. He frowned, trying to sense Vegeta. He could, but just barely. It was like he was really far away or was really repressing his energy level. He wondered why that was. He assumed that things must be okay if he was suppressing his power level so much. He was waiting for his energy to spike before making a move.

He couldn't sense Bulma at all, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. He usually had a hard time finding her anyway unless she was really close nearby.

"So, are we going to get the hell out of here or what?" Yamcha asked irritably. "Where's Bulma?"

"I don't know," Kakarott said with a frown. He was concentrating really hard on trying to locate her. If she was with Vegeta then he wouldn't try to look for her. But if she wasn't with him, then it may be a good idea to go and get her. If only he could sense her, which of course, he couldn't. "I can't sense her. Vegeta is with Frieza from what can tell."

"Well why don't we go find Bulma and get her out of here now while Vegeta and Frieza are distracted?" Yamcha suggested.

"Because firstly we aren't leaving without Vegeta and secondly Vegeta may need my help defeating Frieza. This isn't going to be any ordinary battle. Frieza is the most powerful being in the universe."

"Who cares!" Yamcha objected. "Maybe they'll destroy each other. Bonus if they do as far as I'm concerned. As long as all of us and Bulma make it out of here alive, that's all that matters."

"Look I do agree with you to a point. I know you don't like Vegeta but at the end of the day, he is my prince. That trumps any opinion you may have about him. Not only that, but like it or not he is Bulma's mate. She won't leave here without him. I already made her do that once and it devastated her. I don't want to do that to her again.

"So you are more than welcome to leave with us; I cannot in good conscience just leave you here. Or if you are that against traveling with Vegeta then feel free to leave on your own accord. Keep in mind, he may not want you here either after all the trouble you've caused. So when he makes it back here, I'd recommend keeping a very low profile around here for a while. He'll already be in a really bad mood after fighting Frieza." Kakarott said firmly to him. He himself hoped Vegeta didn't blast him for allowing Yamcha on board in the first place.

"Oh, surely it won't be that bad!" Mrs. Briefs said, linking her arm through Yamcha's. "You're staying right here with us. Yamcha is practically family you know. He and Bulma were supposed to get married one day. But if Bulma's found herself a handsome prince, that still doesn't disclude Yamcha from our family. Does it?" she asked, patting Yamcha's cheek affectionately.

"That's fine. Just keep him scarce." Kakarott nodded. "Vegeta won't be happy he's here."

Kakarott looked back towards the inside of Frieza's ship and smirked. Finally! Vegeta let loose! It was about time! He would stay here and hang tight for a little bit before going to help him. If he knew Vegeta, he would want to bask in all his glory for a little bit before getting down to business. That was alright with him.

-0-0-0-

Bulma gasped as she watched Vegeta transform. He looked absolutely magnificent! If it weren't for the fact that she knew he wanted her safe, she would have been frightened by his appearance: His height hadn't changed any, but his shoulders, neck, arms and chest had grown thicker. His normally black upswept hair was now a brilliant golden blonde and his eyes were a piercing teal. He looked positively regal as he stood tall and proud; a golden aura enveloping him and bright energy crackling around him. He was, dare she say, beautiful.

He looked at her a moment; his face a stone mask, not giving anything away. _**This is it.**_ She thought to herself. She hoped so anyway. She nodded at him.

Frieza's face slacked into surprise as the golden light of the Super Saiyan bathed him, but then relaxed once more. "So you can turn blonde, eh?" he said, smiling mockingly. "Well I still prefer brunettes, but go with whatever works for you my dear."

Vegeta snarled in reply, disappeared and phased right in front of Frieza.

"Impressive." Frieza said nonchalantly. "Though I'm afraid it still will not be nearly enough." He cackled before throwing a fist at Vegeta, who managed to easily block it. Then they both disappeared.

Bulma frowned, trying to see what had happened to them, but couldn't. If it weren't for the odd cry and crackling of lightning, she would have assumed that they had left the room to take the battle elsewhere.

She glanced at Ginyu, who was watching intently, obviously able to keep track of what was going on, though his hold on her hadn't loosened up any. She wondered how she would be able to get out of here, unless Ginyu let her go, it wasn't looking good.

"What's happening?" she asked the purple skinned giant.

Ginyu didn't give her a proper answer. "Hmm," was all he said, frowning at the battle she couldn't see.

Freiza attacked with grim pleasure, already anticipating the crushing he was going to deal to his favorite little monkey who dared defy him. Whatever tricks this transformation had wrought in Vegeta, it had certainly made him stronger, but Frieza was not worried. He knew how many aces he still had up his sleeve.

Vegeta wanted to let his power rip on Frieza, but he couldn't. He countered or evaded every blow Frieza threw at him, but cautiously and carefully. When he hit back it was with restraint, sensing out Freiza's limits and countering but not overwhelming him - knocking him back, but always away from the woman, trying not to mash him through the floor or walls or ceiling. The sweat was already breaking out on Vegeta's brow, not from the physical exertion but from concentration. This was maybe the hardest fight he'd ever fought. Not because of the power of his opponent, but in the restraint he had to exercise to prevent his frail mate from being damaged. It was going to take all day to defeat Freiza at this rate! He decided to change tact.

Vegeta backed away from Bulma and Ginyu, putting Frieza between them and himself. When Frieza next lunged at him Vegeta sped towards him, slipping feet first under his Freiza's arm at the last moment, catching the arm and throwing Frieza into a wild spin. The lizard cried out in surprise, but not for long as Vegeta twisted up above him and drove him face down into the floor. They made a rather large dent in the throne room, but Vegeta managed to halt their momentum before they cracked straight through. He held Frieza's arm behind him with one hand, and snaked his other arm around Frieza's neck.

"Ack!" gasped Frieza in shock, scrabbling at the arm around his throat. Vegeta adjusted his grip, preparing to choke him to death or rip his head off, whichever came first, but Frieza flung himself back up into the air, crashing into the throne room ceiling, thrashing about madly in his hold. Vegeta hung on, but then he heard Bulma scream below. Frieza had put them right above her and Ginyu and debris was raining down on the spectators. Vegeta pushed them down from the ceiling again, trying to look behind him to see if she was alright, but this distraction cost him his grip on Frieza.

Frieza fled to the far side of the throne room, breathing hard. The woman was fine; he saw Ginyu staggering backwards with her still grasped to him. He would have to do something about that, but his attention was pulled back to Frieza by a throaty chuckle.

"I admit it Vegeta; you're much stronger than you were the last time we fought and you are much stronger than I had ever anticipated you to become."

Vegeta was caught between gloating pride at Frieza's words, and suspicion that Frieza sounded so relaxed about it. "Good, because I haven't even begun," he told his former master. "Yet you laugh. I don't think you'll find Hell as amusing as all that."

"Oh, I have no intention of _dying_ Vegeta!"

"Well it's my intention that counts on that front!"

Freiza's smile became icy with annoyance. "I admit it, you're stronger than I am in this form. But that just means you're about to see something that no-one outside my own dear family has ever seen. No-one still alive, anyway."

Ginyu gave a tiny gasp. Bulma swiveled her head to try and see his face. "What's he talking about?" she demanded.

Ginyu smiled in wonder. "The rumors were true then," was all he said.

Just then Freiza gave a guttural cry, his aura whipping up around him again, and his body began to shake.

 _ **What now?**_ Wondered Vegeta. Was Freiza powering up for some huge energy attack? He had to get the Woman out of here now! He decided to use Freiza's momentary distraction to turn and hurtle back down to the Captain and his mate. He was alongside the purple brute's horned head in the time it took to blink, curling one arm around the back of the man's skull to hold him still. Ginyu began to raise his fist, opening his mouth in horror.

"Cra-"

Vegeta's other fist drove into the Captain's nose with force. Vegeta felt the crunch of bone and then the spurt of hot blood on his forearm. He sagged in his grasp, and Vegeta glanced down to see if Bulma was okay. She jumped out of Ginyu's loose arms, a frightened look and the splatter of Ginyu's purple blood on her face. She looked wide eyed at Vegeta for a moment. _**Go.**_ He told her with a nod. She nodded back at him and ran as fast as she could towards the door. He wouldn't have to tell her twice again.

Bulma continued to the door and stopped once she got there. She spared Vegeta one last glance.

"Go!" he urged her almost angrily. _**Be safe.**_

Part of her wanted to do as he said and get the hell out of there as quickly as she could. The other part of her worried about leaving him there alone. He seemed to have the upper hand at the moment but what if something happened and he needed her? She gave herself a mental slap at the ridiculousness of that. What could she possibly do to help him if things went sideways? _**You too.**_ She said back to him and slipped out the door.

Vegeta smirked. _**Good.**_ Now with her gone, he was free from distraction and he could do as he pleased without fear of her getting caught in the crossfire or frightening her any further. Frieza had racked up a huge debt that needed to be paid back; that debt was long past over due and it was now time to collect. With interest.

Vegeta dropped Ginyu's deadweight and turned back to Frieza, whose screams had reached a crescendo, and Vegeta did a double-take at what he saw: Frieza had altered his form again, and this time frighteningly. His head was massively elongated with two backswept spikes on either side of it. His nose was gone, flattened out into a beak-like mouth. He was even larger, and as he stood catching his breath from his transformation, Vegeta felt his stomach drop; Freiza's power had stepped up _again_.

"I will regret having to kill you immensely Vegeta. But there is no going back now." His voice had altered too, becoming a chilling, multi-toned rasp.

He shot across the room, and he was surprisingly fast considering the bulkiness of this new transformation, but Vegeta was still able to evade him. Freiza stopped his momentum by embedding his feet into the wall and looked behind him, snarling.

"Come and kill me then!" said Vegeta from the other end of the room. "All I see is a children's nightmare talking big."

"Hold still then and take your medicine!" Frieza came at him again, and this time Vegeta girded himself. They clashed; cartwheel-ling through the air as they tried to land blows on each other. Vegeta got all his in, but he didn't get away entirely without damage. He was still faster than Frieza, but the creatures reach in this form was so long he had to get right within his space to hit him. He evaded the hands and feet with ease, but as a thick, white boa of a tail wrapped its way around his neck he knew he had slipped up by forgetting that this appendage would also be longer. _**Crap.**_ The tail round his neck felt like a vice, and he suddenly had to divert a lot of his ki to his throat to stop his airway from being crushed. He was not alarmed, not yet anyway, but he did feel a little foolish for getting himself trapped like this.

Freiza laughed and brought Vegeta to his face.

"Well, Vegeta, this is the end," he said, making Vegeta's nose crinkle at the smell of his wine-tainted breath as it washed over his face. "I wonder what Saiyan tastes like?"

He opened his mouth and showed his teeth, his massive purple tongue darting out to lave the side of Vegeta's face. Vegeta was momentarily so horrified that he almost hesitated as he saw his chance – now that Freiza had brought him within arm's reach he smashed his fist into the monster's open mouth, charged with ki. Freiza screamed in surprise and pain, and the two of them fell from the air, Vegeta casting off the other before they hit the floor. Freiza clutched at his mouth and rolled around, moaning with agony at the foot of the steps leading to his throne.

Vegeta couldn't help smiling as he looked down on his enemy. He still hadn't touched the boundary of his power and Freiza was already in trouble. He could finish him at any time…and so he would do it slowly. He drifted down to the top of the dais, settling himself on Frieza's throne to add to the insult of his next words.

"Get up." he told the lizard coolly.

"You don't know when to get off, my little monkey," Freiza hissed back at him. " _You_ don't tell _me_ what to do!"

"I do now, and for the rest of your life, what's left of it."

" _I_ am your master! And you, for all your ridiculous titles and oversized ego, are just a monkey! A prince amongst a rabble of filthy monkeys!"

"The mighty conquer. The weak obey." Vegeta chuckled. "Look, you _did_ teach me something after all."

"I'm not done yet," said Freiza, getting to his feet. He spat a mouthful of clotted maroon blood from his mouth. "You're so cocky Vegeta. Do you think you have out muscled me? Each of my transformations is designed to contain my natural power. You see, it is so large that it's rather an inconvenience most of the time to contain. I still have one more transformation to make before I am in my natural, _free_ state. Only once you have faced me in that form could you say that you have truly beaten me."

Vegeta scowled in frustration. Another level? Who knew how strong that would be? But now that Vegeta had begun this fight, it no longer seemed enough to merely kill Frieza. He wanted to humiliate him. He wanted the tyrant to know that he had _lost_ before he died. Would victory feel hollow if he didn't face Freiza at his best and in his top form? Part of him knew he shouldn't feel like this. A wise part of him said to blast Freiza into the Next Dimension right now, with no further ado, and join his Woman on the dock. But the rest of him wanted a messy, glorious and total defeat of his tormentor. Besides, Vegeta didn't feel like his limits had been tested yet…what were the chances that even this last form would be more powerful than himself?

"All right then," he said. "Let's see it; your last, hideous, form."

Frieza had not waited for his permission. He was straining and groaning already, bringing his transformation on. As Vegeta watched the surface of his hide and armor cracked, and pink energy showed between the cracks. The air and the room began to shake and Vegeta took to the air as the metal floor underneath the throne began to flex and crack. Then, to his shock, the skin and armor began to burst away, light blazing out for a second. The lights in the throne room dimmed, and flickered violently for a few moments before going out. The only light within the room came from Vegeta himself and a few stars that showed in from the large circular window at the end of the room.

Frieza was hunched in on himself, wreathed in dust from the broken ceiling and his own discarded skin, and when he ceased his cries it was so quiet that Vegeta could hear the distant shouts and confusion of soldiers and servants on different levels of the vessel. The ship's engines were silenced, and without their constant background hum, the quiet was shocking, adding to the dark, eerie atmosphere.

-0-0-0-

Bulma gasped as she was tossed against the wall as the ship shook almost violently. She stood still there a moment, waiting for the unnatural movement to stop. _**What is going on?**_ She wondered. She thought of asking Vegeta just to make sure he was alright, but then decided not to. He had made it very clear to her that she was a distraction to him. The last thing she wanted to do was distract him and then have him make a mistake that may cost him this battle. It had to be intense if the ship was rocking and shaking like this.

She looked around as she noticed the lights beginning to flicker as the ship shook even more. It suddenly came to a sudden stop as she heard the engines quit. The force sent her across the hall and into the wall opposite from where she had just been. Before making contact with the wall, she was shuffled and tossed around in each and every direction by a crew of soldiers making their way through the hall. She reached for the wall and crouched on the ground in hopes that by doing so, she wouldn't be flung around more- by both incoming soldiers and the ship lurching.

As she sat there, she saw several more soldiers rush down the hall in a panic. _**That couldn't be good.**_ She thought as the ship lurched again, tossing her back into the other wall again. She stood up this time, her back flat against the wall. She looked all around her again and noted that there was nothing for her to hang on to. No railings; nothing. The halls were bare of anything, which maybe wasn't such a bad thing. The last thing she needed was a heavy piece of furniture or equipment pinning her against the wall and trapping her there.

Bulma stood there, still for a moment, holding her breath as though if she exhaled, that would make the ship shake again. The ship hadn't shook or lurched for a few seconds. She took that as her opportunity to run and cover as much ground as possible in case it started to shake again. The lights were still flickering on and off but she could see well enough.

Just as she let the wall go and began sprinting, a large soldier ran right into her from behind in his panic. "Watch where you're going, slave!" he bellowed, grabbing her harshly by the arms and tossing her up against the wall and out of his way. She yelped as she collided with the wall and collapsed back down onto her knees. She heard a few other voices that were with this soldier laugh.

"Better run for cover, little one! This ship is going to blow!" one of them, a shorter man with bright orange skin and long white hair said to her.

"Why don't we bring her with us?" another one suggested.

"Nah, mate. She'd just be dead weight." The orange one answered.

"I guess you're right, Jeyice." Another agreed. "Hey! You just rhymed there! Ha haa! Mate and dead weight!" he laughed stupidly.

"Not now, Recoom!" the orange one said in annoyance as they disappeared around the bend of the hallway. "We have to find the Captain!"

Bulma rubbed her upper arms slowly. Other than being bruised where he had grabbed her, she knew she was alright. She had to get out of here and onto the docks and fast! If those guys were right about the ship blowing, she knew she didn't have much time. She figured she was close to the elevator. If only she could find a map on the wall to let her know where the hell she was in proximity to the elevators, she was sure she could find her way to the dock no problem with the directions Vegeta had given her. The only problem now being that she had been tossed around so many times, she had no idea which way she was going or if she'd been turned around by accident. Since the walls were free of any artwork or landmarks, everything just looked the same no matter where she looked.

She decided to venture onward in the direction those soldiers had went; sitting there wasn't going to help her any. She made it a few feet before the ship shook again and the lights went completely off. _**Now what?**_ She thought in despair as she sank back down to the ground to sit against the wall again. She was so tired she wanted to cry. What if she never made it to the docks? Would Vegeta be able to find her?

-0-0-0-

With a sudden clunk and a rumble, the back-up engine started up from somewhere. Small, low powered emergency lights flickered on about the throne room. Frieza straightened in the gloom and looked at Vegeta with a confident smile. He was small again, smooth, sleek and sculpted in white and purple. The bulky armor and horns and everything that suggested danger were gone.

"Feast your eyes Vegeta. Am I not beautiful?" he breathed.

Vegeta's stomach turned. It was certainly not the ugliest of his forms, but Vegeta had feeling that Frieza stood in front of him naked. Naked and basking in the glory of his own body. _**Good.**_ Vegeta thought to himself. _**Then that will make him extra vulnerable.**_

"Haven't you heard Frieza? It's what's inside that counts!"

"Hnn," grunted his enemy. "Let me open you up and find out what's inside of you, Vegeta!"

Suddenly Frieza was on him, a knee connecting with his middle with no warning. He was launched back through the air, through the wall behind the throne and the wall behind that, finally managing to stop himself in what he recognized was Frieza's sleeping chambers. He fell against the bed and clutched his stomach for a moment, but then steeled himself, because he could feel Frieza on his way. Fast. Alarm trickled in at last. He had wanted to test his limits, and it looked like he'd got his wish. It looked like he was going to have to step up his game after all.

Frieza floated casually in through the hole Vegeta had made and surveyed the prince wallowing in agony on the bed, wrapped with his legs up to his chest and his arms round his stomach in the fetal position.

"Hmmn. Tempting! But it's too late for capitulation to save you now Vegeta."

Vegeta's temper flared at Frieza's tasteless joke. Gods, and the lizard had accused _him_ of cockiness! He watched him come closer with one half closed eye, playing up his injury.

"Stupid, predictable monkey," he mocked as he came within a few feet of the Saiyan. "The inability to back down from a challenge was always one of your biggest handles as well as one of your biggest flaws- ARGH!"

Frieza's guard was completely down as Vegeta launched the intense ball of ki he'd been nursing, hidden out of sight between his legs and his chest. It slammed into Frieza, knocking him back out of the room, making another hole in the wall and setting the soft furnishings alight as it exploded against him. Vegeta was up and followed on the heel s of his surprise attack with a kick that changed Freiza's momentum upwards so that he crashed through the ceiling of the corridor outside the bedroom, then through another wall, ending up in the throne room again, high up near the ceiling. Vegeta came at him again and again, and Frieza, on the back foot for now, was hard pressed to put up a defense.

" _I'm_ stupid? _I'm_ predictable?" snarled Vegeta as he beat Frieza down the length of his own throne room. With one, last, massive blow, he knocked Frieza through the foot-thick Perspex of the window. The decompression was like an explosion in reverse, sucking Vegeta after Frieza through the jagged hole. _**Shit!**_ He hadn't meant to do _that!_

He braced himself across the Freiza-sized hole, pushing back against the flow of air rushing out of the ship. He could see Freiza outside, grinning. He must've let this happen on purpose. Vegeta cried out as he was struck in the back by a flying piece of heavy debris from the damaged ceiling. It didn't really hurt that much, but he pulled away from the gap before he could be hit by anything larger. The prone body of Captain Ginyu was beginning to be dragged across the floor by the suction, but as he rolled over he came too, grasping his ruined face and looking around with confusion. Vegeta could hardly spare a thought for him. He was too busy wondering how to get somewhere air tight. Over the rush of the air he could hear warning klaxons, and he knew that very soon, if not already, bulkheads would be sealing to shut off this portion of the ship. Where was Bulma? Had she made it to the dock yet?

-0-0-0-

Bulma wandered aimlessly down the hall in the bowels of Frieza's ship. The lights had come back on somewhat, they were very dim emergency lights but at least it was better than nothing; the ship was still shaking every so often, but not as severely. She decided to take that as a good sign; it meant that Vegeta hadn't been defeated. She couldn't sense anything specific from the bond, but she knew he was very much alive and trying to finish this. Part of her wished she knew more about how he was doing, but then a part of her was glad she didn't know. There wasn't anything she could do about it anyway.

She still couldn't find the elevator and she was trying very hard to not start panicking. She felt she should have been there by now! She couldn't have taken that many wrong turns after leaving the throne room. She stood there for a few minutes contemplating and trying to mentally retrace her steps and sighed in frustration as she realized that she didn't think she would be able to even make it back to the throne room even if she'd wanted to and start again. She shook her head and ran her hands through her hair in an effort to calm down. She was so tired. Other than that she felt fine. She wasn't nauseous, thankfully. Between the stressful encounter in the throne room and being knocked around there and then off and on since she'd left, she was surprised she felt as good as she did at all.

Bulma decided then to rest a moment. She couldn't ever remember feeling so worn down. When had been the last time she'd eaten? She wondered. The previous day perhaps? She figured that was a large reason for her lack of energy and exhaustion. She just hoped she'd be able to get out of here without hurting herself or her unborn child. Though she was only showing a little. The little guy still had plenty of cushioning and safety. She decided that it was a blessing she wasn't huge and further along. Then she would really be freaking out!

 _ **Case in point: Time to get moving again**_ ; she thought stubbornly. Vegeta had been adamant that she get off this ship. She was going to do just that! A small part of her nagged that she shouldn't leave without him but she dismissed it. This was her chance to get away from him. He had even given her permission! If he found her and caught up, maybe she would give him an opportunity to make things right, after all, he did seem very sincere in his efforts to ensure her safety. She decided to worry about him later on when all this was done. For all she knew, the whole ship would blow and none of them would make it off here.

She stood up and continued down the hall, determined to find the damned elevators and then to the ship docks! She just needed to think hard on her location. It had been several minutes since she had last seen any soldiers. She had tried to keep up with that small group from earlier but must have taken a wrong turn at some point between the lights shutting off all together, being thrown around, and then when the lights had come back on, they were dim at best.

Looking around and cursing under her breath that everything was plain and there were no landmarks, she decided to keep on the direction she was going. No sense in back tracking, right? She wandered around for several minutes when she noticed something on the wall.

Bulma ran towards it quickly as though it were her lifeline. Whatever it was, it was something other than a blank wall! She exhaled in relief as she looked at it and recognized it as one of the ships poorly drawn up and labeled maps. It didn't matter to her though! At least maybe she could figure out where she was and if she was even near an elevator.

She squinted her eyes as she examined it in the poor lighting. From what she could tell, she wasn't far off from an elevator. All she had to do was turn right at the next junction in the hall and the elevator would be close after that turn. _**Hopefully.**_ She cringed as she noted that she was almost all the way back to the throne room! In her haste to get away from Frieza and the fight, she had run in the complete opposite direction! She stomped her foot in frustration and began jogging down the hall with her hand on the wall so if the lights went out again, she wouldn't miss the break in it and would know where to turn. It shouldn't take her long if she had read that map correctly.

With new found energy from encouragement, she picked up her pace and hoped she'd get there in just a few more minutes!

-0-0-0-

Frieza flew back in the hole he'd made. "Why don't you come outside Vegeta, the weather is fine!" he laughed, his voice hard to hear above the noise. He began his counter assault, driving Vegeta back towards the center of the ship with his own flurry of kicks and punches, taking advantage of Vegeta's difficulty in catching a breath.

"I can survive happily in space Vegeta, how about you? How long can you survive without any atmosphere?" The answer was, only for a short time. As long as Vegeta could keep his ki gathered he could survive the cold and furious vacuum of space, but he could only hold his breath for about ten minutes or so. He sucked down all the air he could now in preparation. He had to end this fast before he lost simply by suffocating.

He didn't waste the breath to reply as he fought back. When Frieza launched a massive ki bomb at him he realized that the ship itself was in danger. He had thought that the lizard would refrain from destroying his own ship, but it looked like he was wrong. He deflected it back down the length of the throne room, where it shattered out more of the window. With a rush the last of the air left, and the room was suddenly silent. _**Crap!**_ Frieza grinned and repeated the action, again and again, and Vegeta saw that he wasn't even aiming for him now, but around him. Vegeta had to go out of his way to deflect the blasts.

"You seem very keen to protect my ship Vegeta." Vegeta wondered how Freiza could speak and still be heard in the vacuum, but somehow he was managing it. "Or perhaps it's your own skin-"

He didn't get the chance to finish his thought. Vegeta began to throw his own blasts back. He opened the floodgates on his power now – with Freiza's back to the already broken wall of window, there was nothing to lose. Frieza fended himself with his crossed arms, then deflected the next. Vegeta bounced it back again, and Frieza deflected it once more, aiming for the ship again.

"Ball games? Vegeta, you really are a card!"

This time Vegeta leapt forward and shattered the ki ball to pieces, leaving small holes on the walls and floor with the spray of energy, using the brilliant firework-like flash that resulted as cover as he attacked Frieza bodily again. He pounced at his ankle, catching him above one clawed foot and spinning him around and down, and then slammed him into the floor, through the polished tiles and below. They were stuck in a sub level of ducts and access way between floors as Vegeta held the stunned creature by the leg and stamped on his face repeatedly. Desperately Frieza turned over, away from the attack, and tried to get away by flying up and out of the hole in the floor above. He only succeeded in towing Vegeta with him though. Vegeta switched his grip to Frieza's waist, then his chest, and then as he thrashed around, his neck, trying to crush his windpipe. And then he realized how pointless this move must be, because there was no air, and it certainly didn't seem to bother Frieza, although it was beginning to bother Vegeta quite a bit.

It was then that he saw that the smashed window had been sealed by a metal blast door.

"Ginyu, what the hell are you doing?" said Frieza.

Vegeta saw the unlucky Captain standing at a control panel near the door. His face was still covered in blood and he looked rather unapologetic as he shrugged at Freiza and pressed another button. Vegeta saw the air vents near the ceiling suddenly burst jets of vapor, and felt the invisible touch of air across his face. Ginyu wanted to live as much as he did, it seemed.

Turning his attention back to Frieza, who was still trying to break his grip, they wrestled frantically, using their ki to back up their muscle, jerking backwards and forwards in the air. Still Freiza was unable to slip Vegeta's grasp.

Ginyu had seen enough. Vegeta was stronger than his master, and he was sure that if this brawl went on much longer he'd been kneeling to the monkey prince before long. However, there was something he could do about that. He had no desire to rule the galaxy, but he enjoyed his position under Frieza, with its great travel perks, ample opportunity to practice violence and intimidation with flair, free pussy and great food. If Vegeta were the new boss, Ginyu would be lucky to keep his life, let alone his job. Ginyu's priorities were; to stay alive, to make sure Vegeta was killed or incapacitated, and to keep Frieza alive and ruling the galaxy, in that order.

"And it's not even that bad looking a body, either," he muttered to himself as the battle rolled and convulsed above him.

Finally, Vegeta appeared in mid-air, Frieza's tail in his hand as he hurled him down into the ground. The ship shook as the Lizard hit the ground. Vegeta landed in the middle of his back making him gawp with pain, and then grabbed a hold of one of Frieza's legs to begin pulling on it.

"Ginyu!" Frieza shouted. "What are you doing? Call for back up. Don't just stand there!"

"How my Lord?" It looked like his boss could see the writing on the wall too.

"Your scouter you fool!"

"Oh, right." Ginyu replied sheepishly. He pressed the button on the side. "Calling all members of the Ginyu Force and any available troops! You are needed immediately in Frieza's-"

Ginyu's message was cut short as his scouter exploded on the side of his head. The captain grabbed the side of his head and cursed as he felt around his ear to make sure it was still there, which it was to his astonishment. He glared daggers at Vegeta who had an evil smirk on his face. He was already charging another, ball of ki, but taking his time with it. _**Well good,**_ thought Ginyu.

"I got a better idea my Lord, if I may?"

"Whatever Ginyu, just do it!" Frieza replied, still writhing on the floor.

Ginyu judged the size of the energy attack headed for him and decided to risk eating it to further his plan. He took it in the chest, and it knocked him over, piercing his armor and his ribs. He knew a mortal wound when he felt one. Shit, any bigger and it would have killed him outright. The monkey was looking at him, head cocked to the side with curiosity. Well he supposed his behavior just now might look a little strange. _**Oh well!**_ He staggered to his feet though and gasped out.

"Hey Vegeta!"

"What is it maggot?"

"CHANGE NOW!"

Vegeta was suddenly transfixed by Ginyu's gaze and unable to move as a lazy beam of eerie energy erupted from the Captain's mouth, through the air and into his. An awful sensation followed, like hair being ripped out by the root, but all over _inside_ his body. He flew through the air, and disorientated, he staggered and fell to his knees. What the hell just happened? His nose was killing him, his chest was in absolute agony, he could barely breathe, he couldn't see Captain Ginyu, and he felt completely peculiar. Now he was kneeling, facing Frieza, who was now getting to his feet, laughing, and beside him was…beside him was… Him! Vegeta's head swirled, sure he was about to faint. He could not be seeing what he thought he was seeing. He raised his own, heavy feeling hand. It was purple.

"What?" he exclaimed, not recognizing the voice as his own.

Frieza and he himself were both laughing at him!

"That's a neat trick of Ginyu's, don't you think Vegeta?"

"Thanks for the new digs Vegeta!" he heard his own voice say as he fell to all fours. "I'm going to get years of use out of this young thing. Pity it's so short though."

Vegeta coughed, and out of this unfamiliar mouth came a stream of purple blood. Now he knew why Ginyu had taken that hit. What the fuck would he do now? He couldn't even stand!

 _ **I'm sorry Woman!**_ He called out through the bond, but it was not there! He couldn't sense her, she was gone from him! No! He was going to die, and he was all alone in it. "Then maybe she won't die too," he whispered to himself in despair.

-0-0-0-

Bulma shrieked in joy as she made the turn down the hall and there was the elevator! Without wasting any time, she ran to it, hitting the buttons frantically for them to open. "Come on!" she mumbled to herself, nearly jumping up and down as she waited, as though that may make the doors open sooner. There were still tremors every so often, shaking the ship around. Some were minor and others not so minor. She worried for a moment that maybe the elevator was broken, but finally the doors opened and she darted through them.

She hit the button for the second floor and exhaled heavily in relief as the doors closed and a moment later felt the elevator moving. Only a few more minutes and she would make it. She would be off this ship, away from the horribleness of Frieza hopefully with both her father and mother. She smiled at the thought of being reunited with her entire family. How wonderful that would be!

She thought for a moment; Vegeta had known that her father would be here. He had even indicated that Kakarott and her father had gone to attempt to find her mother. Whose idea had that been? Did Vegeta find her father for her? He had to have known to go and look for him. But how had he known? She thought more on it and concluded that had he gone out of his way to look for the rest of her family that that was a very sweet gesture on his part. She knew that Kakarott was a strong warrior as well, from what she could recall of him. Vegeta had mentioned that Kakarott would be at the ship with her father and possibly her mother as well waiting for them. That meant that Vegeta probably would have sent Kakarott away to take care that her father and mother, if found, made it off this ship instead of wanting Kakarott with him to fight this battle. That was a huge risk for Vegeta to take in not wanting his fellow warrior to accompany him.

Bulma frowned. It was either very sweet of him to think of her and make sure both her and the rest of her family were safe; or completely arrogant and egotistical of him to assume he could do this whole battle on his own without assistance from his friend. On the other hand, finding her family and having them sent to the ship with someone that would be able to keep them safe would not benefit him in any way either. He could have not bothered and simply told her they had not made it or that they could not be found. She wouldn't be able to tell one way or another. There was no benefit for him to find them. That had to say something about him as well too, didn't it? If they had been as close as Vegeta had let on, he would have to have known how much her family had meant to her and how much it had hurt her that she had thought both of her wonderful parents had died or were possibly suffering. Otherwise, why would he have made the effort? He could have simply just said to her that he had tried and couldn't find them and that could have been that.

She sighed in frustration again. She wanted to hate him. She really did. It was so easy to just hate him because that's what they had made her feel for him. But then her mind would whisper an argument in Vegeta's defense. Sound arguments; not just _**Well he's awfully handsome. No wonder you had been attracted to him at some point.**_ They were actual legitimate arguments that she could not simply dismiss. She wanted nothing to do with him yet in the last several hours since he had been here and she had been in contact with him, he had made her question nearly everything they had told her about him.

She could tell he had been relieved that she was alright. Aside from messing with her head, she had not been ill treated in her time here from what she could recall. He had been extremely upset that she seemed to not want anything to do with him. When she had a moment alone with him, he had not taken advantage of her or raised a hand against her. The way he had looked at her and touched her and kissed her had not revealed a man who saw her as strictly a bed ornament and nothing more. He had been interested and concerned with the health and well being of her and their unborn child. He urged her to look into things on her own with regards to their past relationship; although she could remember nothing. She would have to get answers from him later on after all of this, which he had promised her.

Wait. That meant that she would have to face him again! She didn't want to! She was so confused and felt literally torn in two! Part of her was telling her to go and find a way to never see or hear from him again. The other part of her was telling her to give him a chance if they both made it. It was that side that was winning at the moment now that she had begun to think things through rationally. Frieza and Dr. Gero had obviously done a great job in brainwashing her. Could it be undone? Could she regain her memories of what had happened between her and Vegeta so that she could then make a decision with regards to him? Decide if she really wanted a life with him? Would she be assured then that it would be a good choice for both her and her child? She had seen footage of Vegeta and had seen how vicious he could really be. What he was capable of. Is that someone she wanted helping to raise her son? The obvious answer was No. But before all of this her other self had overlooked all of that for some reason. She guessed he had hidden all of that from her. She would have never have willingly given herself over to a murderous monster like what she had been shown. She even had a memory of him beating someone to death that was her own. Though her mind also nagged at her: _**You can't remember the circumstances surrounding that specific situation. He just beat that soldier keeping you captive in the throne room as well so that you might have a chance of getting out of here.**_ She could not deny the truthfulness behind that line of thinking.

Bulma shook her head in frustration and decided to worry about all of this later on when she wasn't stressed over making it out of here alive. At this moment, it really didn't matter.

The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened. Bulma quickly exited the elevator and was about to make a mad dash towards the shipping dock when she felt an excruciating painful feeling in her head. Her knees buckled at the pain and she placed her palm on her forehead as she fell to the floor. It felt like something was being ripped from her mind, not so different from when she had been with Dr. Gero those few horrible weeks.

 _ **What the hell?!**_ She cried to herself as she leaned against the wall again, her head buried in her hands and her body crumpled up on the floor.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Gore and Violence
> 
> Thank you Dragonbabezee for beta-ing!!

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement

_**CHAPTER 29** _

Bulma leaned her head back against the wall; her head was pounding so hard she had to shut her eyes to regain some sense of composure.

A moment ago, it had felt as though something had been ripped from both her mind and soul. It was so intense, like a _whoosh_ exiting her body and mind from her lungs; it had left her breathless. Her knees had buckled and she was out of breath and dizzy, not unlike a fainting spell but about ten times worse than that. She sat there on the floor, her head in her hands, eyes closed, taking deep breaths in and out of her mouth, trying to gather her bearings again.

 _ **What the hell was that?**_ She wondered to herself. She assumed nothing good. Her first thought had been panic over the possibility that something was wrong with her baby, but as she sat there, completely still, she took note that there was no pain anywhere in her abdomen or belly. It was strictly her head and chest that were affected.

 _ **Oh God.**_ She thought as realization sunk in full force. Vegeta. Had he lost? Was that what she was feeling? The remainder of the bond that they had shared. Was it gone? Was he dead?

Despite her negative feelings towards him, dread crept up deeply within her. Dread and sadness. She wondered if she should try reaching out to him or not? She didn't want to needlessly distract him, especially if he was at a disadvantage at the moment. But she had to know.

 _ **Vegeta? Are you alright?**_ She asked cautiously; not sure if she wanted to know the answer or not.

 _ **I'm sorry, Vegeta doesn't live here anymore. Who's this?**_ Came an almost immediate reply in a voice she did not recognize as Vegeta's.

Bulma paused and frowned for a moment. Something definitely wasn't right. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She wasn't sure how this bond thing worked, but Vegeta had been able to show her things through it. He had shown her several very vivid images from their supposed life together. Maybe she could do the same, only see what he was seeing?

 _ **Hello-o? Anybody there? I know I didn't imagine you just now? Who is this?**_ The voice came again. It was loud and grating and obnoxious. Nothing like the smooth, masculine voice of Vegeta's.

 _ **Never mind who I am!**_ She replied angrily, _**who are you and what have you done with Vegeta?**_

_**Vegeta has taken a permanent vacation from this amazing body of his. Let's just say he was given the privilege of taking the outer body experience.** _

_**That still doesn't answer my question! Who are you and where is Vegeta?** _

_**Well, I'm not sure how to answer that one, that's a really good question.** _

-0-0-0-

Captain Ginyu, now occupying Vegeta's body turned to his master, "Hey, Lord Frieza? So what do I call myself now? Captain Ginyu? Or Prince Vegeta?"

Frieza rolled his eyes, unamused at the Captain.

"I can't lead the Ginyu force if my name is Vegeta. I know I'm still technically Ginyu. But my men won't respect or follow me in this short body. I think Jeyice is even taller than me now." He complained, stretching out his arms, patting his chest and abdominal area in inspection of this new body. "Though, I can probably get a lot more tail in this body than my original self ever could. Maybe they'd even be willing partners now! Hey, Vegeta! Did you get lots of action in this body?"

Ginyu jumped up and down a few times, followed by a few back flips and leaps to the left and right, "Wow! This body may be small, but it sure is fast! Maybe I can command the Ginyu Force in this body after all!" he commented excitedly, striking a few experimental poses. This was absolutely incredible! Ginyu took a few small steps on only the tips of his toes and then did a delicate pirouette, followed by an exaggerated final pose on one foot, standing only on the tip of his toe, the other leg extended gracefully high in the air and his arms over his head. "How do I look?"

Vegeta could have thrown up as he watched in complete and utter horror and disbelief at himself doing flamboyant gymnastics and ballet poses. This had to be a nightmare. There was no way around it. He was still on the ship with Kakarott on their way to rescue Bulma and destroy Frieza. There was no way this was happening to him.

He tried reaching out to Bulma again, but felt nothing. He coughed and frowned in despair as purple blood spurted from his mouth and onto the floor of the throne room. He only hoped that Bulma was already back on the ship and off this hell hole. Whether this was reality or a horrible dream that he seemed to be unable to awake from, at least then he could die in peace, knowing that she was safe and sound and could raise their son in peace. He had faith that Kakarott would watch over them both, train his son if the woman would allow it and maybe, just maybe educate him about his heritage. He knew that might be pushing it though.

"Enough, Ginyu!" Frieza said irritably. "Now, what do you suppose we should do with Vegeta? That wound looks bad. I am sure he does not have much time left."

_**Tell me who you are and what you have done with Vegeta!** _

"Alright, alright! God!" Ginyu shouted.

"I am sorry, Ginyu, what was that?" Frieza asked, turning to him after his random outburst.

"I'm sorry, my Lord." Ginyu apologized. "But some female is harassing me and screeching at me like a banshee wanting to know what happened to Vegeta."

Vegeta gasped and looked up at, he supposed, himself. _The bond._ Bulma was still connected, but to Ginyu now and not to him.

"Now that is rich," Frieza laughed, looking again at Vegeta. "Perhaps you can convince her to return here?"

"Here? Why?" Ginyu asked in confusion.

"Because then I can get rid of her. That wound Vegeta inflicted on your body is bad. He won't be lasting much longer, he is useless as far as I am concerned. I can tear her apart right in front of him, as he bleeds out and there's nothing he will be able to do about it." Frieza cackled. "Maybe I will let you in on the amusement as well, Ginyu. She may be willing, seeing as you have switched bodies."

 _ **Oh no,**_ Vegeta thought to himself in horror as his stomach dropped at the possibility. _**No, no, no, no, no.**_

"Well, you see, my Lord that may be a problem." Ginyu replied.

"I do not see the problem, Ginyu. You now occupy Vegeta's body and have a bond with the Woman. Lure her back here. It's as simple as that."

"Well, No. You see, she knows that Vegeta is gone."

"And how would she know that?"

"I kinda told her."

"You fool!" Frieza spat at him. "And just what, exactly did you tell her?"

Vegeta began to laugh dryly, despite the pain he was in. "You wouldn't need to tell her, you fools!" he said, spitting out a clump of blood and mucous. He was feeling somewhat relieved now. Bulma should have been able to pick up on the abrupt change and know that something was wrong. She also should have been at the docks by now.

"You shut up!" Frieza sneered at him. "Go on, what did you tell her, Ginyu?"

"That Vegeta wasn't here anymore. That he was having somewhat of an outer body experience." Ginyu said with a nervous chuckle. He had thought it was funny.

"For God's sake Ginyu!" Frieza hollered at him. "You have the ultimate advantage where Vegeta is concerned and you fuck it up before we even decide what to do!"

_**Hello! I am talking to you!** _

-0-0-0-

Bulma was still sitting on the floor of the ship on the second floor trying to figure this out. She could hear bits and pieces of a conversation with Frieza. Frieza was pissed off at whoever it was that had taken over in Vegeta's head. She was starting to get annoyed at his lack of response to her.

_**Hello! I am talking to you!** _

_**Geez! What is it? Would you stop screeching at me?** _

_**No! What have you done to Vegeta? So help me, I will make your life miserable if you don't tell me!** _

_**Vegeta struck me with a mortal wound, so I repaid the favor by switching bodies with him. He is currently bleeding out as we speak. So forget about him, girl!** _

Bulma closed her eyes tightly, trying to concentrate. She wasn't sure on what, exactly. She just decided to concentrate on this new person she seemed to have a mental connection with now. She searched and searched and then saw Frieza and his throne room.

From the look of it, Frieza was beaten up pretty badly. Is this what he'd had to resort to in order to win this battle? Having one of his wounded henchmen switch bodies with Vegeta? _**What a coward!**_ She thought angrily. _**Where is Vegeta?**_

_**He's gone, girl! What else do you want me to tell you? Are you dense?** _

_**Look you piece of shit! I can currently see everything you see. So turn around and look at Vegeta or whoever he is now.**_ She said harshly to him, not caring much for politeness. _**Look at him! Now!**_

_**Fine! Although you may not like what you see.** _

Bulma gasped in horror at what she saw. The large purple giant who had called himself the Captain and had dragged her to the throne room was crouched down on his knees, holding himself up with one arm. The other was tightly clutched to his chest as though trying to keep his chest cavity held together.

-0-0-0-

"Hey, Vegeta! You're woman is on the other line. Wave hello!" Ginyu called out to him, walking up to him with a cruel smirk. Vegeta wondered briefly if that's how he looked to all of his opponents as he had stood over them in their final moments, mocking them and their futile efforts before finally ending their seemingly insignificant lives in his eyes.

Vegeta looked up at him briefly, wondering if Bulma could actually see him. He shook his head and looked down in shame; he hoped she couldn't see him. Not like this.

"What, you have nothing to say to your dear mate, Vegeta?" Frieza asked mockingly.

Vegeta glared at the tyrant. To have been so close to victory and have it slipped through his fingers all because Ginyu had somehow awoken from the blow he had given him earlier. He should have made sure he was finished instead of carelessly tossing him to the side. Better off, he should have skipped testing out his new powers. Frieza's words echoed back to him just then: _"The inability to back down from a challenge was always one of your biggest handles as well as one of your biggest flaws."_ He should have just finished him and then joined Bulma on the docks. Instead, here he was; dyeing of a mortal would he had technically inflicted on himself. He had no connection to his mate to warn her if she hadn't made it yet. He thought of lunging at one of them for mocking him the way they were at the moment, but decided to save his energy. Maybe there would be an opening somewhere.

-0-0-0-

Bulma could not believe what she was seeing. How the hell had they managed to pull that one off? The purple giant had to have known he was going to die. Why else would he have switched? This wasn't fair. No matter how she felt about Vegeta, she knew he was a warrior inside and out. And this was not honorable. She hadn't missed the look of shame on his face even though it was a different face and he had only looked up very briefly. Had she not been concentrating as hard as she had been, she'd have missed it.

She wished there was something she could do. She couldn't think of anything. She knew going back would be the worst possible thing she could do. If she wasn't careful and they got a hold of her, which would more than likely happen, she reasoned, they would only torment Vegeta through her and he was obviously not in any position to protect himself, never mind her. She knew she couldn't fight either of them; and she knew that even if they left the room and Vegeta alone thinking that he would just die in his current state, she would never be able to carry him back to the ship. Not on her own. What about medical attention? The lab would still be too far away for her to be able to get him there. From the look of it, it didn't look like there would be much she could do to help him anyway. And on top of all that, even if by some miracle she did save him, could she even look at him while trapped in that body? It would be hard enough as it was for her to overcome her issues with him enough to even give him a chance. Now he was trapped inside the body of a hideous giant monster.

Bulma exhaled deeply, trying to work out every angle. She also didn't want to spend the rest of her life bonded to this guy. She sighed again in frustration. _**Stupid bond!**_ She cursed. Then an idea came to her.

_**Look, I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but Vegeta and I share a bond; and for whatever reason it didn't carry over in your body snatching idea. So, you and I are forever linked, buddy.** _

_**Oh, well that may not be so bad. You're a tad scrawny for my tastes, but decent-looking enough. I could live with having a woman like you warming my bed every night.**_ He replied to her disgust. She had been hoping the idea would be just as unappealing to him as it was to her. _**I'd have to rip that brat from your womb, but other than that, I'm game. It shouldn't bother you any. Since I'm wearing your man's face and body now. You wouldn't even know the difference!**_

_**Dream on, you pig!** _

_**Oh, come on. It wouldn't be that bad. I'll even let you call me Vegeta.** _

_**Get the hell out of my head and get the hell out of his body and go back to your own, you fucking coward!** _

_**Hmmmn,**_ Ginyu replied. _**No. Sorry, my dear. I'm liking the feel of this new body. I think I'll stay.**_

 _ **Get out!**_ She screeched at him as loud as her mind could possibly think it.

_**I said no!** _

_**And I said yes! Get out, right now! Or I will make your life a living hell every second of every day until you leave!** _

_**Ha haa! I could say the same to you, girl! Come on! Can't we come to some sort of agreement?** _

_**No! I want you out of my head and for you to return Vegeta's body to him! I thought you were a high ranking warrior? All I see is a fool and a coward! You couldn't win on your own so you cheated! What's the honor in that?** _

_**Shut up!** _

Bulma grinned to herself, slightly. From what she remembered, this guy was stupid; dumber than a sack of hammers on a Thursday afternoon. Maybe she could somehow convince him to switch back with Vegeta? That was the only possible solution she could come up with at the moment. It was the only way to help Vegeta and the only way to keep her sanity. She would not live the rest of her life with this idiot in her head.

_**No! Coward! Loser! You're an honourless, pathetic excuse for a warrior!** _

-0-0-0-

Ginyu clamped his hands over his ears. "Geeze!" he lamented. "That mate of yours is quite the irritating harpy, Vegeta. How could you stand it?"

Vegeta chuckled. He hoped she was giving him hell. She may not want anything to do with him anymore, but he knew she would not want to be stuck with Ginyu in her head forever either.

Ginyu grit his teeth and scowled in annoyance. "Would you shut the hell up already?" he shouted.

"Ginyu, if you cannot control your outbursts, would you mind removing yourself from my throne room while I decide on what to do with Vegeta?" Frieza said to him dryly.

"It's not my fault, my Lord!" Ginyu protested. "She literally will not shut up. She's got quite the mouth on her."

"Then block her," Frieza suggested.

"I, I don't know how my Lord. Trust me, if I could, I would!" _**Listen up, you! You had better shut the hell up before I come down there and shut you up myself!**_

_**I'd like to see you try! You'll never be able to find me! You're too stupid! I am a genius, you know.** _

_**Can we at least come to some sort of compromise?** _

_**No! Get out of my head! And get out of Vegeta's body!** _

_**But I can't! I have nowhere to go!** _

_**That's not my problem! Now either leave now or be stuck with me screeching at you for an entire lifetime!** _

_**Look, there has to be a way to block each other. Can we not just do that?** _

_**That takes too much effort! Get out!** _

"Vegeta! How do you block this wench? I just can't take this anymore!"

"Beats me," Vegeta said unsympathetically, hoping he could hang in there just a bit longer to formulate some kind of plan.

Ginyu groaned and fell to the floor, his head in his hands. "Stupid bitch!"

-0-0-0-

Ginyu had given Bulma an idea. She could remembered when Vegeta had blocked her out. It had hurt. It had felt like a mental shove. She also remembered when she'd done it to him when he had first arrived in Frieza's throne room, he had nearly buckled from the force. Maybe if she did that enough times, the big oaf would decide that going back to his own body would still be better than being stuck with her. And so, that is what she did. She opened her mind up fully to him and then abruptly closed it a moment later.

 _ **How was that?**_ She asked him, opening up the bond again. She then focused on all of her hate an anger and sent that to him as well; every ounce of it. She was banking on the possibility that he didn't know how to use the bond against her as well.

 _ **Please, stop.**_ Ginyu said.

 _ **Nope. That's not the deal. The deal is, you give Vegeta back his body and then I'll stop. I can make it a lot worse for you. I'm only getting started. This is what you'll live with for the rest of your life if you don't get out NOW!**_ Bulma screamed at him. When she got no reply from him, she then began to think of the most annoying songs from back home. The ones that she couldn't stand and would get caught in her head for hours upon hours; irritating commercial slogans, anything. Between thinking up new things to bombard Ginyu with, she would block him out of her mind as forcefully as she could. She grinned to herself as she began to think of a children's television program she used to love as a young girl. She and Chi-Chi used to sing the end song all the time until her mother would threaten them.

_**This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started singing it not knowing what it was and they'll continue singing it forever just because this is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on…..** _

-0-0-0-

"Fuck my life!" Ginyu hollered, crouched on his knees on the ground, holding his head, pulling on his hair. "Make it stop!"

Vegeta frowned at Ginyu; whatever Bulma was doing, she had the Captain writhing in agony on the floor for the past several minutes. He decided that while Ginyu was making a scene and Frieza was shouting at him in disgust, this may be a good time to slowly inch his way closer to them. Maybe he could salvage just enough energy to put Ginyu in a headlock and persuade him to change back. Though he wasn't sure what to do about Frieza. He knew he didn't have the ki or energy reserves to put him off for even a moment.

 _ **Have you had enough, yet?**_ Bulma asked him in as innocent a voice as she could. She was starting to feel mentally and emotionally drained from all of this; between being as obnoxious as she could possibly think of being to having to transmit all of her negative feelings over everything she had ever endured, it was slowly wearing her down. _**I know I have**_ **;** _ **but I could go on and on for hours and hours and hours…**_

_**No! No more! I'll do anything!** _

_**Anything, you say?** _

_**Yes! Anything!** _

_**Alright, switch bodies with Vegeta.**_ She said sweetly.

_**No! Not that! Anything but that!** _

_**Oh, well, I'm sorry then. I'm going to have to start singing the never ending song again. And then, I'm going to tell you about all the reasons why Edward is better than Jacob! And why Bella is stupid!** _

"I don't even know who Edward and Jacob are, you crazy bitch!"

Vegeta couldn't help but chuckle painfully. He'd had the misfortune of sitting through most of the Twilight Saga on Bulma's ipod in the first few days she had been ill with her pregnancy. He had hated every moment of it, but had humored her because she had been so ill and there had been nothing he could do to help her; that and it made him feel less guilty for his original reaction to the pregnancy. She had told him that staying with her would help. So to his never ending shame, he had. What a painful bunch of rubbish that had been! He could honestly sympathize with Ginyu for a moment.

"Vegeta! Does this Woman of yours ever shut UP?"

"Nope." He replied, thankful that Ginyu was far too distracted from whatever it was that Bulma was putting him through that he hadn't noticed him slowly creeping up closer to him.

-0-0-0-

Bulma decided to take a very brief break. She continued to sit on the floor; now that the lights were back on and the ship wasn't thrashing around anymore, she felt a bit more relaxed. She sat for a moment trying to think about another plan to drive this moron out of her mind for good. She closed her eyes again and focused on what was going on with him. He was sitting on the ground and it looked like Vegeta was coming closer to him. Frieza was standing mere feet away from him. He sure looked different. He looked sleek and agile; a vast difference from the horned bulky form he had taken before she had left the throne room. Had she not known what a terrible person he was, she might have thought him beautiful in this form.

She watched calmly and a plan began to form at the back of her mind. This guy was stupid. Maybe she could convince him to switch bodies again since annoying him half to death wasn't working. From what she could tell, Vegeta was close enough that if he was paying attention, he may be able to jump in and switch back with him. _**Hey, loser!**_

_**What do you want now?** _

_**I had an idea.**_ Bulma said calmly.

_**Oh do you, now?** _

_**Uh huh! Why don't you switch bodies again?** _

_**I already told you! I am not switching out of this body, my own is done. You must think I'm pretty stupid if you think I would return to that.** _

_**Oh, no. I don't think you are stupid at all. I was just thinking that maybe there was another body you could switch with? Then you wouldn't have to deal with me anymore.** _

_**Girl, there is no one else to switch with here besides Lord Frieza.** _

_**Ohh, but wouldn't you like to have his body? Just look! He exudes power and gracefulness. You could command the universe in that body. Everybody respects and fears him.** _

_**Hmmm. You may be on to something.**_ Ginyu replied, looking at Lord Frieza carefully.

 _ **Oh, I know I am! I am a genius after all.**_ She said haughtily. _**Come on! Do it! It's the only way you'll ever be free of me! It's either you do this, or I'll annoy you the whole rest of your life.**_

_**I thought you wanted Vegeta back? If I swap with Lord Frieza that means you'll be stuck with him.** _

_**Oh, I know. That is exactly what I am counting on.** _

_**Wait, what?** _

_**I doesn't matter! Just do it! Or I will start making your life hell again!**_ She hollered at him.

_**I can appreciate that, but I don't think I want to go there. Lord Frieza in Vegeta's body could still kill me. If I do this he'll be royally pissed.** _

_**I don't care! It's worth a shot, right? It's either that, or…**_ And with that, she slammed her mind shut again on him. _**Well? What's it going to be?**_

-0-0-0-

Vegeta watched as Ginyu eyed Frieza closely. He wondered if maybe he was considering doing another body switch.

He slowly continued to inch his way closer, thankful the Frieza and Ginyu did not notice. Frieza was either vainly inspecting his new form or yelling at Ginyu. He had all but forgotten about Vegeta at this moment.

Ginyu once began writhing on the floor and shouting out obscenities at Bulma. "Alright, alright!" he shouted and looked at Frieza with a concentrated scowl.

"What is it now, Ginyu?" Frieza asked irritably. "I told you to contain your outbursts!"

Vegeta watched closely, sensing that Ginyu was about to jump and switch bodies with Frieza. This may be his only chance to get back into his body. He could not mess this up! Everything was riding on this!

"Lord Frieza," Ginyu said to him, finally pulling himself together enough to stand up.

"What is it you fool?"

"Change Now!"

"What?!" Frieza shrieked in shock and outrage.

Vegeta took that as his cue and leaped in front of Ginyu. He swore that if this did not work or that his angle was off that lunging the way he was would be the end of him, but he did not care, he did not even think about it.

With the amount of pain he was already in, he didn't know if he had succeeded or not for a moment. He felt the familiar dizziness and disorientation as a beam of light hit him; it only lasted a moment before Vegeta collapsed on his knees as he realized he was back in his own body. He took a moment to catch his breath and turned to look at Ginyu, who was writhing in pain on the floor. He was back to himself! He patted his chest and looked at his gloved hands in relief.

 _ **Woman, Bulma!**_ He called, reaching out to Bulma through the bond almost frantically. Vegeta could sense her; she was still on the ship. He had hoped that she had made it to the dock safely by now.

 _ **Vegeta!**_ Came her almost immediate reply. _**You're back?**_

 _ **I am! Why are you still on this ship? Have you made it to the docks and Kakarott yet?**_ Vegeta asked her, realizing just then that he hadn't given Kakarott instructions to leave without him.

 _ **No, I'm still trying to find the dock. I got lost!**_ She said. _**Then the lights weren't working and when I did find the elevator, you were gone and replaced by that guy and so I've been concentrating on chasing him out of my head.**_

 _ **Woman, if you find Kakarott on your way to the ship, tell him to leave with you and your family.**_ Vegeta told her urgently, phasing away from Frieza and Ginyu, trying to get some distance while he formulated a new plan.

 _ **I thought you wanted us to leave together?**_ She asked him carefully.

_**It is not practical or safe for you to remain. The ship is damaged. When you get to the docks, tell Kakarott to go. I will find my own way. Just you make sure you get off this damned ship.** _

_**Alright. I'm almost there.** _

-0-0-0-

Bulma smiled to herself, sitting back on the floor, trying to catch her breath. She had the worst headache, but smiled despite of it. She could sense Vegeta. He was back and she was more than alright with that.

It had been a huge risk in convincing Ginyu to switch with Frieza. She did not even want to think if it had happened that way! How horrible would it have been to be bonded to Frieza for the rest of her life? She was just glad it worked out the way she had hoped it would. When she had noticed Vegeta trapped in that other body ever so slowly creeping his way closer to Frieza and Ginyu, she had come up with the idea since there was no way Ginyu would willingly go back into his own body.

She decided she had sat down for long enough and continued making her way to the docks. She had to be almost there! She stood up and consulted the map next to the elevator. All she had to do was head down the hall and take her first left and she would be pretty much home free. She felt a sight pang of guilt for leaving without Vegeta, but shrugged it off almost as quickly as it had come up. He had told her to go and that he would find his own way. Therefore, she rationalized that now that Vegeta had his own body back, things would be fine. She had helped in in her own way and now it was time for her to leave and find her way back to safety.

Bulma rounded the corner only to run into a frighteningly large pink soldier. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, trying to slip by him.

"Well, hello there, lovely." He crooned, latching onto her arm and pulling her back towards him. "This ship is screwed."

"Yes, sir." She replied stiffly.

"You look lost, little one."

"No, I'm not lost, thank you." She answered, unsuccessfully trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.

"Hang on there, let me have a look at you." He said with a chuckle. "You look very familiar."

-0-0-0-

Vegeta looked back at his former master as he struck Ginyu so hard the Captain slid across the length of the throne room.

"How dare you try and switch bodies with me, Ginyu!" Frieza shouted at him while continuing after him. "Why is good help so hard to find these days?"

"M-my Lord," Ginyu stuttered.

"I have given you everything, you fool!" Frieza snarled at him. He picked him up by the front of his armor. "And this is the thanks I get from you? I would have expected such disloyalty from Vegeta, but from you?"

Before Ginyu had the chance to answer in his defence, Frieza blasted him in the face, disintegrating him all together.

Frieza dropped what was left of Ginyu's armor and turned towards Vegeta. "I am finished toying with you, Vegeta. I hope you enjoyed your brief little victory. Now I am going to destroy you. I will leave you alive just long enough to see what I am going to do to that pathetic little mate of yours. Such a shame; after all she and the child she carries are both innocents in all of this and both of them had so much potential." Frieza said, shaking his head as though disappointed.

"All you do is corrupt and destroy the innocent." Vegeta shot back. "You corrupt every single thing you touch. Leave her out of this. This is between you and me."

"I am afraid it is you that brought her into this when you left my service to further pursue a life with her. You should have pretended she was still deceased, Vegeta. If you had, she would still be safe and sound. I had no idea that there was even the remote chance that she might have survived the blast. Had you left her be even after learning of her survival, she would not be involved in this. Now I must use her yet again to teach you where you stand and who you belong to. Only this time, I will make sure the job is finished."

Vegeta smirked at Frieza. "You will never touch her. She is well on her way off of this ship."

"Where you'll never find her again! She wants nothing to do with you, remember?" Frieza cackled. "Very well then, if she is gone, why don't you simply remain here and make a fresh start. I will give you this final opportunity, Vegeta. I will not hold any of this against you so long as you retain you place at my right hand remain loyal to me."

"Ha!" Vegeta laughed. "Dream on! The only thing I am going to stay here long enough to do is destroy you!" he shouted, lunging towards Frieza again, burying his fist deep into the lizard tyrant's gut, but not getting as deep an impact as he had been hoping to.

Frieza hissed, but recovered almost immediately, grabbing Vegeta's arm and twisting it, dislocating his shoulder. Vegeta gritted his teeth against the pain and sent a small ki ball into Frieza's face, at which point, the lizard let go of him.

"My face!" he snarled.

Vegeta was just about to come at Frieza again when the tyrant blew up the doors to the throne room and quickly left, tearing down the hall. Vegeta quickly snapped his arm back into place and took off after him without hesitation. "Finally giving up?" he gloated at the tyrant.

"Oh, no, my dear Prince." Frieza replied. "I am simply going back to grab my little investment piece. She must still be here. After all, you would not let her leave without you."

Vegeta stopped a moment and sought Bulma out. She was still on the ship on the second floor. He needed to get to her before Frieza found her. He frowned when Frieza sent a large ki ball through the wall of his ship before leaving Vegeta there. He cursed under his breath as he felt the suction beginning to drag him towards the hole in the ships wall. Before it could drag him out towards the breach, he quickly blew his own hole into the ceiling in an effort to beat him to the second floor where Bulma was. He once again thanked the gods for the bond. He would not have to waste any time aimlessly looking for her, he could find her almost immediately, while Frieza would have to search blindly for her. He only hoped he could make it to her before Frieza did and that the ship would hold out long enough for him to send Bulma on her way and finish this off for good.

Vegeta cursed as he landed on another floor of the ship where Frieza had obviously already been, there were holes punched into the outer walls and the air was very thin. He could not hear anything but the sound of vacuum as the air escaped out into the atmosphere. It was bad, but not bad enough to pull him towards the walls.

He blasted another hole just above him; Bulma was on that level, he could feel her. He headed up and began flying down the hall towards her. He was relieved to see that Frieza obviously had not made it to this level just yet, none of the walls had puncture marks in them.

Vegeta flew down the hall as quickly as he could manage, wondering why Bulma only seemed to be standing in one spot. He was about to ask her through the bond when he turned the corner and saw Dodoria with Bulma struggling behind him to get free.

"Look who I found running around." He announced, shoving Bulma in front of him roughly. She yelped as his grip tightened around her arm as he yanked her around like a rag doll.

 _ **Shit!**_ Vegeta thought angrily. He hated Dodoria. Where the hell was Kakarott? What was he waiting for? He wasn't concealing his energy anymore so he should have been able to sense that the battle had commenced. The ship was highly unstable and shuttering in every which direction, that should have been another clue. He'd better be on his way here. He looked at Bulma, who was giving him a pleading look.

 _ **I'm sorry, I tried to get away from him.**_ She said.

_**Did he hurt you?** _

_**No. Just my arm, where he won't let go of me; but I'm fine.** _

"Excellent, Dodoria," Frieza said with a smile as he suddenly appeared on the other side of Dodoria and Bulma; blood trickling down the side of his mouth beneath the burn marks from the blast Vegeta had sent into his face earlier. "Your timing couldn't be better either. We were just discussing, Miss Briefs, Vegeta and I, what to do with you."

Frieza cackled and clapped his hands together excitedly, looking back and forth between Vegeta and Bulma. "My, this seems to be a familiar predicament now, wouldn't you say, Vegeta?"

Vegeta snarled. He had to do something and fast but he needed to keep his calm.

"Oh, yea! Remember the last woman of yours I had a run in with, Vegeta?" Dodoria taunted, pulling Bulma closer to him. "You aren't very good at protecting your women, are you?"

"That was such an unpleasant experience for everyone involved, wasn't it, Vegeta?" Frieza asked, almost sympathetically.

"It wasn't for me." Dodoria laughed. "Hey, wasn't it this wench that you killed Zarbon over?"

"Indeed it was, Dodoria." Frieza agreed.

"I knew you had to be her! She was quite the little fox from what I remember. I don't forget easily." Dodoria said, looking Bulma over appreciatively. "You said I could have a piece of her and when I went to go and have my turn, I found Zarbon beaten to a pulp."

"That's right, Dodoria, I did tell you that you could do as you pleased and so did King Vegeta." Frieza said, walking closer to where Dodoria and Bulma stood. "I was hoping to not have to go this route this time with you, Vegeta. I actually wanted to keep your lovely mate around to help with technological developments to further my cause.

"Please do not take things personally, my dear," he continued on, touching the side of her face gently. "But I warned you to remain loyal to me. It seems that you have chosen to side with Vegeta rather than with me. That is fine. A waste of your talents and brilliance, but that is alright. You see I can still use you to teach Vegeta once again the consequences of crossing me."

"I didn't choose him over you," Bulma said defiantly. "I want nothing to do with either one of you!"

"She's a lot prettier and a whole lot feistier than the last one, Vegeta." Dodoria said, leaning down into Bulma's neck and taking a deep breath. Bulma stiffened up. "She even smells better too; I love the smell of fear."

Vegeta stood there, shaking with rage. Even with all his power at his fingertips, he felt completely helpless. He could not let this happen. He could not let Dodoria or Frieza hurt her. The last time they had taken someone from him had been hard enough, and he hadn't felt anywhere near as deeply for her as he did for Bulma. He hadn't had the chance, thankfully. What had happened to her had been unspeakable and uncalled for. He could not let that same fate happen to Bulma.

"Leave her be," Vegeta warned Dodoria. "She is weak and frail. She would be of no amusement to you."

"She must be of some amusement to you," Dodoria objected. "She's pregnant with your spawn, is she not? I can smell it."

"Leave her be, or I will destroy you," Vegeta said again with clenched teeth, ready to send a ki blast straight for him as soon as he moved Bulma at such an angle he could shoot at him and not get her in the crossfire or worse, have Frieza swoop in and snag her. "I am not as weak as I was the last time you took something that was supposed to be mine." He looked from Frieza back to Bulma and Dodoria trying to formulate a plan of escape for her.

"You see, that's the problem with you, Vegeta. You never want to share. Frieza and your father said I could have a piece of her once Zarbon was finished," Dodoria taunted. "I think you owe me for that."

"The only thing I owe you is a severe beating and a one-way trip to the next dimension for all that you have done to me and to everyone else who has ever had the misfortune of crossing your path," Vegeta said dangerously. "If you have any smarts at all, you'll leave the Woman alone and leave this ship. My fight is not with you unless you provoke me further." _**Duck, Woman. Now.**_

Bulma nodded and lunged herself as far downward as she could manage.

"I am not provoking you," Dodoria said innocently, looking confusedly at Bulma. "I-"

Vegeta phased in front of him and aimed the ki blast right for his head before Dodoria even had the chance to react. Before he went limp, Vegeta grabbed Bulma by her arm and pulled her behind him and away from Frieza, who was standing just a few feet away. _**Get back and stay behind me.**_

"Well, I see that I have made poor decisions in my choices in henchmen," Frieza grumbled. "Half are disloyal and the rest are utterly and completely useless!"

Vegeta laughed sinisterly at his former master. "You got too comfortable. You got lazy. I have planned this moment out since the day you first took me from my home. I have taken great delight in plotting your demise."

"You stupid monkey," Frieza scoffed. "You have no idea the first thing about running an empire."

"That is where you are wrong." Vegeta replied confidently. "You see, I take back what I said earlier about learning nothing from you, when in fact I have learned firsthand from you everything not to do! That is why I will succeed where you have failed."

Frieza cackled dryly. "I see, and should you miraculously succeed in defeating me today, do you think my absence will go unnoticed by my father and brother? I do realize that we are not close and that they reside on the other side of the universe, but do not be mistaken. They will seek to destroy whoever destroys me."

"Let them come. I do not fear them. I will do to them what I am about to do to you." Vegeta replied, taking a few steps back from Frieza, trying to not only put some distance between them and him but to also get Bulma closer to the hallway that would lead to the docks.

Frieza nodded and looked at the two of them. He knew Vegeta was stronger than him; even in his last, ultimate form. He was beaten, and he knew it. He smirked at the two of them and then launched a ki ball at the wall of the ship; if he couldn't win, then there was no chance in hell he would let them off the hook.

Bulma shrieked as a gust of wind blew by her, threatening to suck her through the hole in the wall. Vegeta grabbed her arm and pulled her close. It was a decent sized hole, but he figured he could still stand his ground, so long as Fireza didn't make it bigger or put another one in the ship's wall.

Bulma wrapped one arm around Vegeta's narrow waist and hooked her fingers through the shoulder strap on his armor with her other arm. She held on for dear life, struggling to not let go of him and not lose her breath.

"My, my," Frieza smirked. "Isn't that sweet. She despises you yet is still clinging on to you. I can bet that she would not last much longer than you can in space. The freezing cold temperatures. No oxygen. You will not be able to save both her and yourself, Vegeta."

Vegeta did not reply, he simply took a few steps back with Bulma so that she might be just a little closer to the exit.

Frieza chuckled and walked up to the hole he had just made and with his claws, began to tear it open even more, smirking even more as the hole quickly became a large gap.

Vegeta quickly turned with Bulma hanging onto him and began to fly towards the hall that turned down towards the docks, ignoring Frieza as he slowly made his way down the hall after them, punching holes into the walls and dragging his claws through the foundation, gutting the ship and exposing wires and pipes and poking holes straight through into the open atmosphere.

As soon as Vegeta reached the door to the docks and opened it, he tossed Bulma in front of him. "Kakarott!" he shouted. After a moment the other Saiyan appeared from the inside of one of the ships. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"I was waiting for you and Bulma." He replied innocently. "I could sense your power level and figured that you could handle Frieza on your own. Then when the ship started acting up, I figured it best to wait here so we could make a quick escape. The ship's ready to go."

"You fool!" Vegeta snarled at him. "Take the Woman and her family and go. Now."

"Frieza's not dead yet? What about you?" Kakarott asked in confusion

"No. I am going to finish him now." Vegeta said, pushing Bulma towards Kakarott. "The ship is damaged and is going to blow. Leave now, I will find my own way."

"Do you need help, Vegeta?" Kakarott asked, taking Bulma's hand and ushering her towards the ship.

"No," Vegeta said, shaking his head. "Go. Get the woman and her family out of here."

"How sweet!" Frieza's voice came from behind Vegeta. "Kakarott, how wonderful to see you again! It has been ages. I was simply stunned you had also survived that little explosion all those months ago, but am beyond relieved that you are alive and well!"

Kakarott glared at Frieza. "Return to your side of the galaxy. I can see that you cannot win this fight. Leave now and we will leave and go our separate way and let's end it on that."

"And what am I supposed to do there?" Frieza asked in an amused tone.

"Are you out of your mind, Kakarott?" Vegeta shouted at his first lieutenant. "Get out of here! I will finish this!"

"Vegeta, I can't leave without you." Kakarott replied, not taking his eyes off Frieza.

"Kakarott! You are to take the Woman and leave." Vegeta growled, beginning to feel somewhat irate. "That is a direct order!"

"But-"

"Leave!"

Kakarott looked in confusion from Vegeta back to Bulma. Why wasn't she fighting him on this? "Bulma?"

Bulma looked at Vegeta for a moment as though trying to decide what to say. "He gave me permission to leave and I don't want to be stuck here with either of them." She said coolly, nodding at both Vegeta and Frieza as she turned and walked into the ship.

"What the hell?" Kakarott sighed with a frown. "Alright then, if you don't think you need my help."

"I don't!" Vegeta snapped, turning his back on Kakarott and the ship.

"Oh, Vegeta," Frieza chuckled. "Over confident right to the end, hmm? Is it over confidence, I wonder or are you scared and do not want your woman and fellow comrade to witness your demise?"

"I want them gone so I will be completely free of distractions and do not want to continue holding myself back on their account. Their presence on this ship is the only reason you are still breathing."

"Oh. Is that your excuse?"

Vegeta bared his teeth and sent a ki blast at Frieza, knocking him back and through the doors; out of the docking bay all together. He leaped after him but then turned back to the ship, confirming that Bulma was indeed inside. _**Good.**_ He thought to himself.

"You will watch her," he said to Kakarott. "I will find my way back to her. Just get her off this damned ship and once you land, she is not to leave your sight."

Kakarott scratched the back of his head in confusion as he watched Vegeta take off down the ship's hall in pursuit of Frieza. He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to leave Vegeta. The ship seemed to be failing; that was one major reason. And what if he really did need his help winning this battle? On the other hand, he did not want to disobey a direct order either.

And what was with Bulma? She seemed completely indifferent to Vegeta. That wasn't normal. The Bulma he knew would not want to leave Vegeta under any circumstances. He understood Vegeta's insistence on her leaving the ship, but he did not understand her cool acceptance about it. He had a really bad feeling.

The ship shook again and he could hear loud banging not far off from where he was; things must have gotten more intense now that Vegeta didn't have to worry about keeping Bulma safe. He decided he would ready the ship to leave at a moment's notice but decided to give Vegeta just a bit more time and worry about the consequences later on. There was no doubt in his mind that Vegeta would be able to defeat Frieza. He could sense both their power. Unless Frieza was majorly supressing his power level, Vegeta had this fight. _**You've got fifteen minutes, Vegeta. Then I'll go.**_

-0-0-0-

Vegeta looked down on the ground, cocked his head and smirked at his former master wondering what he should do with the fallen lizard tyrant? Once he had exited the ship dock bay, he had let go of everything that had been holding back and unleashed his full fury on Frieza. It had been almost too easy. Frieza hadn't managed to land a single blow. Now here he lay in the middle of the hallway, completely helpless. Now all he had to do was finish him. He could sense both Bulma and Kakarott. The disobedient fool had yet to leave. Perhaps if he did finish Frieza off quickly, he could catch a ride back home with them and hopefully begin making things right with Bulma if she let him.

He noticed from his peripheral vision Frieza's tail moving slowly towards him, no doubt an attempt to grab one of his limbs in order to try and regain the upper hand. Vegeta chuckled darkly, thinking to himself how many times had he been beaten by that tail? How many times had he been chocked and nearly strangled to death by it; the only time it would loosen up and give him any release was usually mere moments before he'd blacked out. How many times had he wished he could destroy it? Even during this battle, he had faltered and had been briefly at Frieza's mercy with his tail wrapped around his neck. With that in mind, he stomped as hard as he could into the middle of Frieza's tail; for many reasons. At this moment mostly to take out the lethal appendage before it took him out, as it had so many times before.

Vegeta laughed evilly in delight and satisfaction as he felt the delicate bones break beneath his foot. He reveled in it as well as the sound of anguish coming from Frieza.

"What's wrong? I thought you got off on this sort of thing. No?" he asked mockingly as he stepped on the next bone further down. "I cannot imagine why not. After all, it is one of the many lessons you forced on me too many times to count. Why not experience it for yourself?"

"Please don't." Frieza cried.

"Don't?" Vegeta repeated in an amused tone. "Why not? You've broken my tail before, took delight in dragging it out for hours and hours on end; breaking every bone one by one taking perverse pleasure in doing so." He said, slowly stepping on another bone.

"I was a young boy no more than 10 years of age the first time you beat me. You beat me to a pulp; to the point at which I could not even raise a hand to protect myself," Vegeta said in a dark tone. "The only bones not broken in my body had been the ones in my tail. You saw to that though. You slowly took your time, breaking each and every bone, much like I am doing to you at the moment." He finished, stepping on another delicate vertebra in the lizard tyrant's tail.

"The only difference was, you did it with your bare hands. I had cried out and begged you to stop as I lay in a pool of blood. Spitting and coughing and choking on my own blood as you did nothing but laugh and continue."

Frieza began to laugh evilly despite the pain he was in. "Are you sure it was pain you were crying out in or pleasure?"

Vegeta snarled as he stepped on another bone. "I am very sure!"

"Oh, come now, Vegeta. I was only having a bit of fun. You were always so uptight, even as a boy," he said through gritted teeth. "From what I recall, you thoroughly enjoyed yourself. So much so that I began to feel like you went out of your way to piss me off just to spend more time with me."

"Even when I did exactly as asked, you would find fault with me."

"I do not understand your issue, young prince," Frieza said his formal title with distain. "You and I are very much alike, Vegeta."

"I am Nothing like you!"

"I wouldn't be so sure. Look where you're at right this moment. You have me in quite a vulnerable position at the moment. One that you no doubt remember yourself placed in many times before. You could easily take advantage of me. I would not fight back. Take it. I encourage you."

Vegeta shouted in absolute disgust at the filthy insinuation coming from Frieza's mouth. He powered up a ki ball and aimed it at Frieza's tail, severing it.

Frieza screamed in pain. "My tail! How could you? You stupid monkey! Have you any idea what it is you've done?"

"I have a pretty good idea." Vegeta replied calmly with a vicious smirk.

"You are going to pay dearly for that!" Frieza snarled, shaking in rage and humiliation.

Vegeta laughed evilly. "I think not. I am bored now. This has been almost too easy. I must say I am almost disappointed!" he taunted, taking another step closer and savoring the moment of Frieza's nearly-complete defeat. He stood there, looking down at him, thrilled at the sight as he gathered a ki ball in his hand, readying for the final blow.

-0-0-0-

"Bulma!" cried Bunny as she ran towards her daughter the second she set foot on the small ship. "Oh, my! I thought you hadn't survived! This wonderful young man brought your father to find me!" she rambled as she embraced her daughter.

"Momma!" Bulma replied in near shock as her mother hugged her so tightly she thought her bones may break. "I can't believe it! You've been here all this time?"

"I have."

Bulma smiled as her mother let her go. She was numb. What an exhausting day! She looked around and saw her father standing not far behind her mother. "Dad, I was looking all over for you."

"I have been just fine. Vegeta and Kakarott found me in the lab. From there, Vegeta went to look for you and Kakarott and I went in search of your mother before heading here."

She nodded as she pulled him into an embrace as well.

"Now where is that lad you call your husband? Is he alright?"

Bulma nodded and then shrugged. "Yea, I think so. He's still fighting with Frieza."

"Then we shall wait for him. If it was not for him, both your mother and I would still be on this horrible ship without the hope of any sort of escape. Until only a few hours ago, I had no knowledge your mother had even survived,"

"Yea, about him,"

"I cannot wait to meet this prince!" her mother gushed. "To think, our little girl ended up with a prince after all that has happened! I can't wait to hear all about it!"

"Now, now my dear," Dr. Briefs interrupted his wife before letting her get too carried away. "I am sure Bulma is quite tired. She has been through much these past several weeks. There will be plenty of time for her to tell you the tale. Bulma, there is someone else we have found and are bringing back with us."

Bulma frowned in confusion, glad for the distraction from her mother's prodding about Vegeta. She had no idea what she was going to tell either of them about him. She didn't even know half the answers herself! "Who?"

Yamcha sheepishly poked his head out from around the corner of the ship. "Hey, B."

"Yamcha!" she exclaimed, rushing towards him and hugging him. "Oh my god! You survived?"

"I did," He replied, exhaling in relief. He had been afraid she wouldn't speak to him once she had made it to the ship. "Your mother rescued me from the harem. I was only there a few hours when she happened to find me and snuck me out to help her out in the kitchen. I've been fine all this time thanks to her."

"What?" she frowned. "How did you end up there?"

"Lord Frieza sent me there. Don't you remember?"

"No." she said blankly. "I only remember that the last time I saw you was a few days before Earth was attacked."

"Oh," Yamcha replied in confusion. "Well, I'm fine. Nothing happened to me."

"I am so glad!" Bulma said hugging him again.

Yamcha smiled down at her, beyond elated that she wasn't screaming at him.

Kakarott stood there watching the exchange in pure confusion

"Hey, let's get going." Yamcha said to Kakarott, still hugging Bulma.

"No, we are waiting for Vegeta." Kakarott replied firmly. He could not believe that Bulma was fine with leaving Vegeta here! What threw him further was the fact that she seemed completely comfortable and happy that Yamcha was even here! Hadn't it been him that had taken Bulma and brought her here in the first place? Dr. Briefs nodded at Kakarott in agreement. At least he had him on his side.

"We should wait for him," Bulma agreed quietly, after a moment.

"But Bulma, he's no good!" Yamcha objected. "You can finally be free of him."

"I know that! But he saved me and my family; he's the father of my child and he deserves a chance to get away from Frieza just like anyone else." She said firmly. "It's the least we can do. I saw him fighting Frieza earlier on. He's got this."

"Child? What?" Bunny exclaimed. "Oh goodness, gracious! I'm going to be a grandmother as well? I think I am going to faint! Trunks, did you know about this?"

"Calm down, dear and let the poor girl be," Dr. Briefs said again to his wife. He hadn't had the time or the opportunity to let her in on everything that had happened to Bulma; that she may or may not remember Vegeta or anything before her arrival onto Frieza's ship. For all he knew, she knew nothing of him aside from the obvious. He had been hoping to not get into the specifics until after Vegeta arrived and they were all safe and far away from this horrible place. "She has been through just as much as the rest of us, perhaps even more. I am sure all will be explained in due time."

Bulma sent her father a grateful look. She was so glad he was here and was safe; she had known he would be able to give her some answers. She was sure he didn't know everything, but she knew he could be trusted to give her the truth about what he did know and advise her of the best direction in her best interests.

"It's settled then." Kakarott announced, leaving the small ship and standing watch at the ship docks in wait for Vegeta.

-0-0-0-

Frieza turned and looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening in shock as full realization of his defeat finally began to sink in. "Wait, Vegeta!" he pleaded. "Don't do this. Let me go."

"And why the hell would I do that?"

"Your comrade Kakarott was right. We can both go our separate ways! I will go back to my side of the universe. I will leave you my empire to do with as you please. Just let me live."

"That is a tempting offer," Vegeta replied, pretending to consider it. "However now that I am about to destroy you, that means that I will have your empire by default anyway. Sparing your life would be pointless, not to mention unsatisfying."

"My father will be after you." Frieza threatened again. "He will come after you and your woman and child. Please, let me go and I will ensure you and your pathetic family are left alone."

"I don't think so. I am well aware that the power your father and brother hold combined pales in comparison to you; you boasted about it enough times. Now that I have beaten you, and you have been almost no challenge to me at all, I can rest assured that if they do come after me or my family, I will be able to destroy them with even more ease." Vegeta gloated. "In fact, I hope they do come! I will need something to keep me on my toes."

"You fool." Frieza spat. "My father commands the entire other half of the galaxy. I command this half, he has the other half at his disposal. He will send legions after you and your family and wipe out your whole entire race!"

"I would love to see him try!"

"He will succeed if you do not spare me." Frieza said almost desperately.

"And how do I know that if I do decide to let you go, that you won't just come back and destroy us?"

"You have my word,"

Vegeta threw his head back and laughed maniacally. "Your word? That is all you have? Your word is useless!" he spat, still laughing at the beaten up tyrant as though he had told the funniest joke ever. "How many times have you given me your word only to go back on it when it did not suit you? How many times did you conveniently forget you had given me your word and then I was never sent home or sent on a more horrific mission than the one before it? Or given a severe beating despite your word that had I done your bidding as asked, I would receive none. How many times, Frieza?" he asked viciously, digging his heel into the severed tail stump.

"Forgive me, and let me live." He cried out. "Your woman would not like it if she could see you at this very moment!"

"Like I give a damn! She is potentially forever lost to me thanks to you. The least I could do, would be to ensure her safety by ridding the universe of your disgusting presence!" Vegeta said angrily, ready to fire the ki ball at his enemy.

"No! Wait!" Frieza pleaded. "I could learn to serve you. I could serve at your right hand. Together we would be unstoppable. We could combine our empires and rule it all!"

"It is pathetic, listening to you begging for me to spare your life," Vegeta said to him. "You can serve me in hell!" he shouted at him before launching the ki ball into Frieza, taking great delight in the sound of his scream and the smell of burning flesh.

Surprisingly, it had not taken long. Vegeta stood there, looking down in awe at the remains of the horribleness of Frieza. His first inclination was to sever his head and bring it back with him as a trophy, but decided not to do that. The ship was surprisingly quiet; the silence almost deafening. He wondered if all of the soldiers had left in panic that the ship might blow. There was no one around to have witnessed his victory, no one around to challenge him on behalf of their fallen leader; not that he had any worry over defeating anyone who may still be lingering.

Vegeta continued to stand there. He was proud to have destroyed Lord Frieza, but now that he had, he did not know what to do now. He had dreamed and obsessed over this for almost half his life! He felt relief, but nothing much more than that. He felt almost numb. And in the back of his mind all he could think was: _I did it. Now what?_ It was almost unbelievable to him that he had actually done it. He had killed Frieza. He had done it alone and on his own and with the exception of an injured shoulder, he was standing there mostly unscathed.

 _ **Vegeta?**_ Came Bulma's voice in his mind. She sounded as though she were unsure. _**Are you alright?**_

 _ **It is finished.**_ He replied. He had all but forgotten about her in these past few moments he had stood there staring in disbelief at the corpse of Frieza. _**I won. You will be safe now.**_

_**Then hurry! We are waiting for you on the docks.** _

_**I thought I told you and Kakarott to get off this ship!**_ He replied harshly.

 _ **Kakarott and my father wanted to wait for you.**_ She replied shortly before adding, _**and as much as I wanted to get out of here, I agreed.**_

 _ **You are foolish.**_ He said, still staring at what was left of Frieza. _**I will be there momentarily.**_

Vegeta stood there another few moments, still staring at his former tormentor. His former master. The face and body of evil incarnate. The guest of all his nightmares since he was a young boy; the only being to have ever frightened him to his core. He was almost waiting for him to jump up and attack him the second he let his guard down; to beat him to a pulp while laughing evilly at him, taunting him for foolishly believing that he could actually defeat him. To ridicule him for his arrogance as he always did.

As the seconds ticked, to his astonishment, Frieza remained lifeless on the ground. He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there staring. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. He had no idea. He knew he should leave though. Thoughts of Bulma returned to him. He could focus on making her remember and want him again. He could rest easy now knowing that she would be safe, that their child would be safe. Frieza would never be able to torment anyone or any child ever again. He felt the side of his mouth twitch up into a smirk at the thought that Frieza was gone forever. He had done it.


	30. Chapter 30

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 30**_

Vegeta decided it was time to leave. He could hear the creaking and moaning in the ship. Frieza must have done more damage than he had thought. He fired another ki blast at Frieza's body, satisfied as he watched his remains crumble. There was no way in hell he would leave any remains behind should it turn out he is able to regenerate or that someone may find him and revive him.

With that final peace of mind, he tore through the hallway and made his way back to the shipping docks. True to her word, there was the ship waiting for him. The doors open, but the engine running and ready to leave.

He waltzed into the ship, closing the doors behind him. "Kakarott,"

"Off we go, Vegeta!" the younger Saiyan replied as he launched the ship and off they went.

Vegeta walked into the ship's small cockpit area.

"I knew you could do it, Vegeta," Kakarott said with a grin. "Well done."

"I wish I could say the same for you," Vegeta replied harshly. "Had I been counting on your help, we would all be dead. What were you doing dawdling around here for? And furthermore, I had ordered you to leave."

"I knew you could handle things on your own." Kakarott replied knowingly.

"Bulma was stuck roaming the ship all on her own trying to find the docks. She was very nearly dragged off by Dodoria." Vegeta said, his hands clenching in fury.

"I couldn't sense her, Vegeta." Kakarott replied defensively. "If I could have, I'd have brought her here. But I couldn't; for all I knew, she was with you. So I figured the best thing for me to do was wait. You seemed to have everything under control from what I was able to tell. So I stayed here and waited. Is she alright?"

Vegeta growled and left his first lieutenant and left; he would deal with him later. He needed to find Bulma and ensure she was alright. On his way towards the back of the ship where the small rooms were located and ran into Dr. Briefs.

"Thank you for your help, my boy." The older man said to him. "I am forever in your debt."

Vegeta nodded uncomfortably. "Bulma?"

"She went to lie down shortly after she boarded the ship." Dr. Briefs answered. "Her mother is with her, and Yamcha I'm afraid."

"The weakling?" Vegeta asked in outrage. "What the hell is that cretin doing here?"

"I know you are not happy that he is here. I know it was his fault that Bulma ended up here in the first place, I don't blame you for being upset, but we had little choice," Dr. Briefs interjected quickly. "Kakarott more or less filled me in on what happened. My wife found him shortly after he arrived here and insisted he accompany us and I could not leave the boy behind, even if I do not care for him."

Vegeta growled. "It is because of him that Bulma ended up on Frieza's ship and now they have messed with her mind. She does not remember anything nor does she want anything to do with me."

"I am sorry," Dr. Briefs said. "If there was any way I could have spared her of that I would have; but there was not enough time and I could not come up with a way of doing so without endangering her as well as myself. She told me to wait for you, so I did, thinking you would only be a few days."

Vegeta nodded. He needed to see Bulma and he needed to talk to her to begin trying to fix things between them. He turned to head to the rooms when Dr. Briefs lightly took hold of his arm before he could head off that way.

"Do not be angry with her and do not just throw Yamcha out," Dr. Briefs said cautiously as Vegeta turned back to look questioningly at him.

"Why would I be angry with her? And I most certainly have every intention of blasting that weakling for putting my mate in such a position,"

"I understand, I do." Dr. Briefs nodded at him in understanding, "I too have wanted to tear a strip off of that boy many times for what he put her through during their relationship, but I could not in good conscience leave him behind on that ship, but I am not happy he is here and back into her life."

"He shall have no part in her life," Vegeta growled in aggravation. If the old man could not stand him then he felt that to blast him for his stupidity and presumptuousness was the best answer; he practically had the old man's permission from the sound of it!

"I certainly hope not, but you can deal with that later. For the moment, just allow her to be. Do not do that boy any harm." Dr. Briefs counseled.

"What are you saying, old man?"

"I'm just trying to tell you that to do away with him now would not be a good idea, especially if they have wiped her mind of everything where you are concerned. She has no recollection of Yamcha abducting her and bringing her to Frieza's ship. Her only recollection of him is from Earth and not even knowing he had survived."

Vegeta stood there a moment and let the doctor's words sink in a moment. "So then she is completely enamoured with him, is that what you are trying to say?"

"I would not go that far, but she has regressed somewhat, yes. She does know you are the father of her child so you have that working for you." Dr. Briefs said carefully. "She just needs time to work things out for herself, which I am sure she will. All I ask is that you refrain for the moment in harming Yamcha. You'll only put more distance between her and yourself. And give him enough time, he will screw things all up on his own as he always does."

Vegeta balled his fists in frustration, but nodded in agreement. Hopefully the weakling hadn't already filled her head with tons of lies. If such was the case, he would be more than happy to expose his part in why she cannot remember anything. He was sure she would find that side of the story very interesting. Then maybe she would give him permission to waste him, in which case, he would take great joy in doing that. He could not believe that he had managed to slither his way back! Would Bulma have been alright with that even if her mind had not been tampered with, he wondered? He assumed she would have allowed it. She was forgiving to a fault. Though he knew that was a trait he should be thankful for. He himself had put her through too much and she had always let his offences go without keeping account. He only hoped that now she would forgive him for all of his short comings and try to remember the good. He hoped she would let him use the bond.

He headed down the hall to the room where he could sense Bulma. The Weakling was there as was another person whose energy signature he could not identify; he assumed it was her mother. He paused for a moment, debating on whether or not to go in. He wasn't sure if he was fully ready to face her. He would rather face her on her own instead of in front of someone who did not know him at all and someone who loathed him. Even then, was she ready? Maybe she did not want to speak with him just yet. Deciding that there was no right way to deal with this, he decided to take a chance and go in. What was the worst that could happen?

He knocked once before opening the door. To his annoyance, there stood Yamcha next to Bulma, who was laying down in the bed and an attractive blonde woman sitting next to her on the bed.

"You can't just barge in here, it's rude." Yamcha said to him, taking a step towards Vegeta.

"And it was rude on your part to assume you would be welcome on this ship." Vegeta replied, he was not in the mood to deal with him. Maybe it was a mistake to seek Bulma out so soon. He should have gotten some rest and maybe some food first. Then he may have been in decent spirits; decent enough to ignore the Weakling like her father had advised. However, he could not give him the satisfaction of turning and leaving now. He was here, he wished to speak with Bulma and that was exactly what he would do.

Yamcha scoffed at Vegeta, "You know-"

"Yamcha, leave it!" Bulma snapped at him. "It's fine that he's here."

"But Bulma-"

"No. He saved my life, Yamcha. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for him." she said firmly.

Vegeta smirked at Yamcha; maybe the old man had been right and he had already outstayed his welcome with her. Perhaps she had already figured out for herself that he did not belong here.

"Are you the Prince that I have heard so much about?" the middle-aged blonde woman asked him.

"Hmmn." Vegeta replied affirmatively.

The woman waltzed up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace, to his complete shock. "I am so thankful to you for saving our little girl from that horrible lizard! If it weren't for you, we would all still be there! Kakarott told me what you did for her, how you have kept her safe all this time and how you travelled weeks to come and rescue her! That you two are married, oh, I could not be happier that our girl married a prince, and such a handsome one at that! My, I could not have imagined such a handsome prince!" She gushed, taking in Vegeta's war-torn and somewhat shocked appearance. This had not been the reception he had thought he would be getting from the woman's mother. He felt his face growing warm under the older woman's intense scrutiny.

"Bulma, dear, you did not mention how gorgeous he was! You were holding out on me! What a handsome, strong, delightful young man! I cannot wait to see my grandchild, oh, he or she will be absolutely stunning!" she giggled, patting Vegeta lightly on his chest. "How did the two of you really meet and get together? Kakarott said that you two had to tell me that, I am just dying to know! Did you just see my Bulma and fall for her at first sight? I'll bet you did! Who could blame you, she's such a smart, beautiful young woman; how could you not?"

"Mom!" Bulma shouted irritably at her mother. "Just stop, alright?"

"But Kakarott and your father both said that when Prince Vegeta arrived that you both would tell the tale! I am simply dying to know! It's so romantic!"

"Mom, Vegeta just fought a very difficult battle. I'm sure he just wants to rest,"

"Oh, you're right dear! But not before checking up on his beautiful, expecting bride, right?" Bunny gushed.

Yamcha rolled his eyes; he could not believe how she was fawning all over him; just like that! She didn't even know him! She hadn't heard of his reputation or how he had bought her daughter as his own personal sex slave. How romantic was that? It wasn't, it was disgusting! He wanted to object and say something, but decided not to at the moment and not with Vegeta right there.

"How about I make you something to eat?" Bunny asked Vegeta, "Is there a kitchen on this ship? I will make you a meal worthy of a king! How does that sound?"

"Fine," Vegeta replied, thankful that she would be leaving on her own and he did not have to throw her out. She was simply just too overwhelming at the moment.

"It's settled then, come to the kitchen in about a half hour, I'll have something made," Bunny announced, walking towards the door. "Yamcha, come and help me, I am sure these two have lots of catching up to do! After all, he hasn't seen her in a few weeks."

Yamcha begrudgingly nodded, but didn't object. He shot Vegeta a dirty look as he exited the room and headed down to the kitchen to help Bulma's mother. He was hungry himself.

"Now you two be good!" Bunny counselled before leaving finally. "I know how it is when you are apart from your beloved but you both have been through a lot. You must be very tired. There will be plenty of time-"

"Mom!" Bulma interrupted her. "It's not like that. Please, just go make some dinner."

"I'm sure it's not," Bunny giggled at her daughter's obvious embarrassment. "But I know how you young couples these days are, you just can't keep your hands off each other. I guess I couldn't blame you dear. Take your time, I will leave something aside if you two are busy. Far be it for me to keep you apart any longer." She said before finally closing the door and leaving them.

Both were silent for a long moment; Bulma was way beyond embarrassed by her mother's behaviour. "I'm sorry about her, she means well but she can be a little eccentric."

"Woman, I need this damned collar removed." He demanded, ignoring her apology. He did not want to discuss her mother at all. She had irked him out.

"Right," she nodded, watching him closely as she sat up. She placed her hand in her pocket and took out the key. She sat there looking at him with the key in her hand, unsure.

"Well?" he sighed irritably.

Bulma sighed heavily and rolled her eyes as she got up. Obviously she had to go to him. She stepped up towards him and unlocked the collar with the small key. As she reached to take it off from around his neck, his hand collided with hers clumsily. He yanked the collar out of her hand and crushed it, letting the pieces fall to the floor.

"Wait a go making a mess everywhere!" she scolded him, picking up the larger pieces.

"I cannot risk you putting that thing back on me and activating it again." he replied accusingly.

"I wasn't going to do that." She argued.

"Well then it is a nonissue now, isn't it?" he said.

Bulma shook her head at him as she dropped the debris from the collar into a garbage pail. "Thank you,"

"For what?"

"For helping me get out of there, several times." She said.

"Well, someone had to make sure you made it out," he scoffed. "You obviously cannot fend for yourself."

Bulma nodded, looking closely at him. He had a scratch on his jawline. It didn't look like it was too deep, but she decided it needed to be tended to anyway. "Wait here a moment," she said to him. "I'll be right back."

She slipped out of the small room before he had a chance to reply. Bulma had remembered passing a small bathroom when she had boarded the ship. Thankfully she didn't run into her mother or Yamcha. She didn't feel like speaking with either of them at the moment. She grabbed a small towel on the rack and dampened it a bit then went back to her room.

Vegeta was trying to shrug out of his armor, but it was difficult. His shoulder was still stiff and sore from when Frieza had dislocated it. At the time, he had quickly popped it back into place enough that he could manage. Now that his adrenaline rush was gone and all major threats had been taken care of, it was bothering him. He had been so preoccupied trying to remove his armor in an effort to get more comfortable, he had not noticed her slip back into the room. He paused as soon as he saw her.

"Let me help." She said, walking up to him and reaching over him to pull the armor over his head, unmindful of the state of his shoulder.

"Be careful!" he hissed irritably.

"I'm sorry," she said, halting her efforts. "I didn't realize you were injured."

"I am fine."

"Looks like it." she said sarcastically. "Where does it hurt?"

"My shoulder was dislocated."

"Alright," she said, trying to remove the armor more gently this time. She noticed that his mobility was really limited and could not believe he was not complaining more about it. She maneuvered his arm around carefully, while sliding the armor off of him completely. "There. Better?"

"Hmmmn," he grumbled.

Bulma placed his armor on the floor next to him and moved in front of him to tend to the scratch on his jaw. "Do not coddle me," he complained, turning his head away from her.

"Just let me wipe it down and clean it up a bit."

Vegeta huffed in annoyance, but allowed it; his arms crossed petulantly. He watched her closely, silently studying her as she dabbed the damp towel along his jaw; he hadn't even known how or when he had gotten it. He noted that she was stiff in her movements and was holding her breath. Her hand trembled slightly as she tended to him and she refused to make eye contact with him.

"Enough," he grumbled, feeling uncomfortable. She was obviously not comfortable in his presence, he didn't know why she was bothering fussing over such a minute injury. He could not even feel it. He glanced down at her wrist and frowned; it was starting to bruise over. He reached for her hand, inspecting it. "Who did this?"

"It's fine, it was that larger pink soldier." She said uncomfortably, yanking her hand back and out of his grasp. To her surprise, he had not been holding it tight at all and she was released with no resistance on his part.

"So you can touch me but I cannot touch you?" he demanded.

Bulma nodded, looking back on the ground. She had no idea what to say to him or how to act around him. She wasn't sure what he was expecting of her either. She assumed tending to his wounds would be obvious, though she could tell he was alright for the most part. Still, she decided to make the effort nonetheless. "Does your shoulder need to be set?" she asked, not knowing what else to say to him.

"No." he replied. It was throbbing, but he knew there wasn't anything that could be done. The bone wasn't broken. It was just an injury to the tendons. It would have to heal on its own. He expected that within a day or two it would be fine.

Bulma nodded awkwardly again at him, still not knowing what to say to him. She _did_ want to say something, but she wasn't sure what to say. She was so tired, her mind was spinning. She had been bombarded with so much in the last twelve hours she wasn't sure which way was what anymore. She briefly made eye contact with him and was unnerved at the intense way he was looking at her. She felt her face grow warm; that confirmed it: He _was_ waiting for her to say or do something, but she wasn't sure what!

Vegeta sighed to himself, not knowing what the best angle to approach her at was. She wasn't his mate. Sure she looked like her and in body she was her, but in mind she wasn't. This woman clearly was uncomfortable in his presence and while he understood that she was entirely blameless in the matter, it disturbed him and he had no clue how to go about beginning to remedy it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to look at your shoulder?" she asked again, wanting to break the awkward silence between them. "It will only take me a moment."

Not knowing anything else to say or do, he simply nodded. He knew his shoulder was fine but at least she wasn't shrieking at him; that was positive, he reasoned. He wished he could pick up on her thoughts, but she had him completely blocked off from her.

He turned away from her, reaching back with his good arm to undo the zipper in the back of his flight suit. Seeing what he was doing, she walked up behind him and helped him unzip it for him down to the middle of his back slowly while debating if this was a good idea or not? She did not want to give him the wrong idea.

Vegeta walked over and sat on the small bed in the room, shrugging his good shoulder out of his flight suit but struggling with the sore one.

Bulma took a deep breath again; gathering up her courage and walked over and sat down on the bed next to and slightly behind him to help him get the rest of it off. She gasped as she noticed his back was covered with scars. Some were deep; some shallow. Some were raised and others were just a lighter discoloration on his skin.

She couldn't help but lightly trace her fingers on some of them. Who had done this to him? A lot of them looked like they must have been excruciatingly painful at the time and then agreed with him that the shoulder injury couldn't be all that bad compared to how some of these must have been for him. Frieza couldn't have possibly done all of this, could he? She couldn't help but feel pity for him and for all he had to have endured. She couldn't remember anything positive about him, only the negative; but from what she was gathering, he must have had a very difficult life up until they had met. It would be a small wonder why he was cold and mean spirited, as they had led her to believe. Was this what had drawn her other self to him? Had she felt pity for him and everything he had been through? Maybe that had been it and from there she had seen something else.

As she looked at his back, she remembered something. She remembered having a conversation with him about that. In that moment it came to her, they were in a small room, though it was luxurious. She didn't quite recognise it though. They had been sitting on a couch together and she could not remember what they had been talking about but she had decided to turn in for the night.

**"I should go to bed." She said, getting up to leave.**

**Vegeta got up and followed her to the door. He didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay with him. He wanted to tell her that he felt much more for her than just having her around as a concubine to help out in the science department. He just didn't know how to communicate that to her.**

**"Goodnight." She said giving him a small smile and turning to look at him before leaving.**

**Vegeta did the only thing he could think of in that moment and kissed her. He needed to let her know that he really did want her. He just couldn't claim her as his at the moment. He leaned into her, pushing her against the still closed door and kissed her with as much feeling as he could muster up. It was the only way he could communicate his feelings to her. He just hoped it would be enough for her.**

**Bulma closed her eyes and let him assault her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he took control over the situation and effectively trapped her against the door. Soon enough, he slid his hands around her thin waist and pulled her tightly against him. Bulma was so caught up in the moment that she began to feel dizzy as she kissed him back with as much intensity as he was giving to her.**

**"Stay here." he whispered in her ear giving her a break so she could breathe once more. He began to kiss down her neck and back up again to her jaw line slowly making his way back to her mouth.**

**"Alright" She breathed back to him as he captured her mouth once again with his own. He smirked against her mouth and picked her up and carried her back to his bed, his lips never leaving hers. He gently placed her on his bed and continued to kiss her; he wanted her to have no doubt in her mind that she was his.**

**After a few more minutes, Vegeta broke away from her and got up off the bed before things got out of hand.**

**Bulma scooted back up into a sitting position and licked her lips. She couldn't believe how passionately he had kissed her just now. It confused her. She wanted more of him but then thought better of it. She quickly got under the covers and watched him as he took off his shirt and tossed it on the floor.** _**Oh my god!** _ **She thought to herself. She had noticed his perfect physique, but had never seen him without his shirt. He was absolutely perfect. His chest and abs perfectly chiseled, but not bulky or overdone.**

**Vegeta smirked at her gawking and turned around to shut off the lights. It was then that he heard her gasp. He turned around quickly to see what was wrong with her.**

**"What happened to your back?" She asked in horror. It was covered in scars. It was then that she noticed that he had them all over on his chest and abdominals as well. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed that as well. She had been too busy drooling over his perfectly chiseled physique that she hadn't noticed, she thought, embarrassed with herself.**

**Vegeta rolled his eyes and shut off the lights. "Many years of battles, wars and life with Frieza." He growled, heading back to bed and sliding under the covers.**

**"Those are terrible!" She exclaimed.**

**"Some were. Most are trophies." He replied, reaching for her and pulling her close.**

**She allowed him to pull her close and snuggled into his embrace. "Still. They must have hurt!"**

**"I don't really remember." He said, wanting to end the conversation. He kissed the back of her neck in hopes of distracting her.**

**Bulma sighed and giggled as he assaulted her neck. This was getting harder and harder to do. She turned her head to try and look at him and caught his mouth. He kissed her deeply again and then pulled away, earning him a small growl of disappointment from her. He smirked at her, pleased that she was obviously as effected by him as he was by her.**

**"Did I answer your question sufficiently?" He asked in a very deep voice.**

**Bulma nodded. "I think so. Yea."**

**"Good. Do not question my intentions or affections for you." He continued. "I may not be able to express myself freely with words. Let my actions however, speak in place of words."**

**Bulma nodded again, her stomach doing flip flips. "I understand." She said, contently settling into his arms for the night.**

Bulma frowned as the memory cut off then and she felt her face grow warm, she was thankful she was sitting slightly behind him and he could not see her. Had that been real? Had that happened between them, just like that dream she's had? "Did you-?" she asked him shyly.

"Hmmn? What?"

"I think I may have remembered something,"

"What did you remember?" he asked, turning to look at her. He hadn't remembered anything specific just now; and he couldn't share anything with her since she had her wall up and was blocking him. He noticed her cheeks were flushed slightly. "What?" he asked again softly, hoping that maybe it wasn't something horrible that they had blown out of proportion?

"Nothing," she replied as she shook her head to herself, dismissing it all together as she took in his scars again before turning her full attention to his shoulder; it was swollen and stiff, but that looked to be the worst of it. She took his arm and extended it out, thankful that he at least complied with her without complaint.

Vegeta winced slightly as she began to dig her thumb into his shoulder muscle in the joint between the shoulder and arm. He reasoned that maybe it was a good thing she was taking a look at it. She had massaged more than enough minor muscle and tendon injuries for him back on Callisto after a few intense training sessions with Kakarott. Though her fawning over his injuries usually led to other more enjoyable activities, which he assumed were unfortunately one hundred percent off the table at this point in time. That had been the only reason he had learned to comply and allow her to treat any injuries, no matter how minor, he thought with a smirk.

"Vegeta," she said softly. "Vegeta, I had no idea."

"You had no idea what?" he asked confused, her voice breaking his train of thought.

"I had no idea what you had been through. No one should have to go through and endure that. I-"

"Endure what?" he asked harshly, tensing up with dread, hoping she wasn't going to bring up what he thought she may be alluding to.

"Frieza," she answered quietly, unsure if she should broach the subject or not. "What he had said about you-"

"As far as I am concerned, it never happened." He snapped angrily, jerking his arm away from her.

"You can't do that, Vegeta," she said softly. "It isn't healthy."

"I will do as I please. I have lived with it on my own long enough. What do you know, anyway?"

"I know that if you do not let up and get this off your chest at some point it will eat you alive." She answered. "You need to talk about it."

"And just who am I to talk about it with, you?" he snarled, getting up off the bed; he needed his space.

Bulma nodded, but looked him in the eye boldly.

"Dream on, woman. You've wanted nothing to do with me up until you discovered that little tid bit of information. You hate me, remember?"

"I'm trying not to," she admitted. "I have no ulterior motive here. I am trying to work through what they did to me. It's hard, but I am trying. They've made me hate and second guess a lot of things; but that doesn't mean they completely changed who I am. I cannot ignore that you were horribly treated."

"You know nothing."

"Alright. That's fair. But-"

"But nothing!" he cut her off. "I will not discuss it! Especially with someone who used to be my mate and now cannot remember anything and therefore wants nothing to do with me."

"Well fine then, if that's how you want it, but if you need to talk about it, I'm here. I know I don't remember things and how they were between us before, but I still can't ignore that we obviously shared something-"

"What is it you want to know, Woman?" he asked angrily, cutting her off again. "What are you fishing for? To know that I could not protect myself in the most basic manner from someone I hate to such a degree I cannot even explain it to you in such a way you could comprehend?

"Do you want to know about how he beat me senselessly, breaking every bone in my body except my tail? That I could not even raise my hand to protect myself or get away and that disgusting lizard took pleasure in arousing me by using my tail in such a manner that is reserved only for bonded mates?

"Do you want to know about how he would break and crush each and every single bone in my tail slowly while gently stroking and caressing it?" he raged at her, slowly advancing back towards her on the bed, not registering that she was trying to keep a safe distance from him. "Do you want to know how humiliating and degrading it was to be betrayed by my own body time and time again while he laughed about it? That he would do that until I reached completion and then mocked me for it?"

Bulma shook her head, trying to hold back tears at his horrible admission; partially from pity of what he had suffered at the hand of Frieza and partially because she had nowhere else to go, she was trapped against the wall on her bed with him merely inches from her in an angry state. She was wishing now that she hadn't pushed him to talk about it. She did not want to know the gory details, she had only wanted to try and comfort him and felt guilty now for even trying to do that. As he stated, she had no interest in him until she had found out about that, but it wasn't for the reasons he seemed to think. She had no interest in holding it over him or exploiting those horrible things for her gain. She simply empathized with him. If anything, knowing this had helped her to understand how much of an evil individual Frieza actually was. If she hadn't known this she may have been inclined to not help Vegeta; Frieza had been extremely convincing to his cause and for a few days she was completely convinced that Vegeta was the most evil being in this universe; that he needed to be stopped. It wasn't until Vegeta had arrived and he had urged her to look into things on her own that it even occurred to her that he may not be the horrible person they had made him out to be. If anything, Frieza's gloating over the abuse he had subjected Vegeta to only solidified in her mind that Vegeta, though may have major flaws in his personality, wasn't the worse out of the two. She had used that and her gut had told her to help Vegeta and now here she was.

However, his close proximity and angry tirade at the moment was doing nothing more than frightening her. She was trapped and had nowhere to go. She only hoped he was not going to hurt her for prodding and opening up this can of worms. She cursed herself then; how many times had her big mouth gotten her into trouble? She wiped away a few stray tears that began to fall.

"Do not cry or pity me!" he snarled. "You have no idea!"

"You're right, I don't." she agreed, trying to pull herself together so that he would both not see how upset she was for him and how afraid she really was of him at the moment. "I can't even imagine."

"Exactly. So let it be." He said; his tone still harsh but not as angry as it had been before. He moved back and away from her, but sat on the edge of the bed, giving her some space. He could see that she was frightened and he had not meant to frighten her.

"I did not care to discuss it with you before and I most certainly do not have the desire to discuss it now with you." He said after he took a moment to calm down. It wasn't her fault she was sitting just a few feet away from him with no memory of their intimate connection. He could not believe he had told her what he just had! Sure she looked and smelled and was in the body of his mate, but she was not _his_ mate. Not at this moment. He cursed his weakness. How could he have lost himself like that? He wasn't sure if he could have even spoken of it to _his_ Bulma. Maybe he could have; he was confident she would have understood and would not have been repulsed by him now, but would he ever know? More than anything he wanted her to reach out to him, as weak as it was. He needed her. _His_ Bulma wouldn't have forced him into talking about it. She would have left it be and would have allowed him to drown himself within her and forget all about it. Would he ever get her back, he wondered?

"So I didn't know about this before?" she asked quietly.

"No." he grunted. "No one did. No one aside from Frieza and myself and I had hoped to keep it that way."

Bulma was silent for a long moment. "I'll never mention it again."

"See to it that you don't."

"I won't. Not to you, not to anyone else, I promise. But if you ever feel the need to talk-"

"That will never happen, Woman." He said, cutting her off. "I am sorry for keeping you up and wasting your time." He finished, getting up off her bed and heading to the door, deciding for a second time that he was wrong to approach her so soon. He could not do this. He could not discuss such personal matters with her and he did not know how to fix this. Not as she was now. He was sure her desire to reach out to him had been sincere, he could sense it; but she wasn't his mate, he reminded himself yet again. Not anymore.

"You didn't waste my time, Vegeta." She said.

"Get some rest." was all he said and left the room.

Bulma sighed, resting her head in her hands. _Great. Now he's angry at me,_ she thought to herself in despair. She didn't know why she had brought that up, she thought to herself stupidly. No wonder he had reacted that way; how could she have just jumped into bringing up such a personal and intimate issue like that, without considering how he may feel about it? She had assumed that he had told her about all of that before, when they had first got together.

If he hadn't, then she felt really bad now for pushing the issue. She was also surprised he had vented all of that out to her. She supposed that no matter how vehemently he denied his need to talk about it, he must have had to, or he would not have told her what he had. She felt guilty for pushing him to that point. It had not been her intent to upset him.

She just wanted to know more about him and a reason now to trust him if she was going to give him a chance. All she knew was bad things and she had decided earlier on that he could not be all bad. She just hoped that she could overcome her fear of him enough to overlook her distrust and hate they had built up within her so that she could try and remember everything. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she feared him more than she hated him. That had to be a good thing, right?

And what had that brief flashback been? That hadn't been the flashback of a man trying to take advantage of her. If that had actually happened, she had been just as much all over him as he had been all over her. She wanted to ask him about it but instead she had stupidly asked him about the other.

Bulma decided not to dwell anymore on everything that had happened. It wasn't going to help anything and she was beyond exhausted. She scooted herself under the blankets in the small bed of the room she was in and let sleep overtake her. She would worry about everything tomorrow.


	31. Chapter 31

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement

**_CHAPTER 31_ **

Vegeta quickly finished his meal the Woman's mother had made for him. It was stellar in comparison to anything he would have been able to make. Thankfully the Weakling wasn't anywhere to be seen and once the meal was made, both of Bulma's parents seemed to have turned in for the night.

Once he had finished his meal, we went to seek out Kakarott and give him a break. He had been flying the ship since they had left Frieza's ship.

"The Woman's mother made food. Go and eat," he said to the younger Saiyan. "I will take over up here."

"You're not going to stay with Bulma?" he asked curiously.

"No," he shook his head. "She is resting."

"Alright, but Vegeta, what is going on? Bulma has been acting strange ever since she boarded the ship. Did Frieza's doctor manage to get to her?" Kakarott asked in concern. That was the only thing he had come up with.

"Hmmn," Vegeta nodded. "They not only erased her memory but effectively brainwashed her into hating me. She wants nothing to do with me." He said, omitting their conversation from earlier. He did not want anyone to know about that. Not only that, but after the way he'd reacted, he wouldn't blame her if she did continue hating him.

"Oh," Kakarott nodded. "That makes sense. So how are you going to fix that?"

"Do you think that if I had any idea of how that I would be sitting up here with your third class ass right now?" Vegeta snarled at him. "I am not happy with you! First you neglect to come find the Woman. My instructions to you were to escort the Woman's father to look for his mate and then bring them back here. You were to then assist me in my battle against Frieza-"

"But you didn't need any help, Vegeta." Kakarott objected.

"That is not the point! You were to come to my assistance as soon as you knew the battle had commenced. If you had, you could have gotten Bulma out of there as soon as it began. As it was, not only was she a huge distraction to me, but Dodoria got a hold of her as well."

"Oh," Kakarott said quietly. He had forgotten Vegeta had mentioned that bit earlier. "I'm sorry, Vegeta. I didn't even think. I thought it best that I remain here so that we could get out as quickly as possible. I couldn't sense Bulma. If I could have, you know I'd have gone to get her."

Vegeta just glared at him and took his seat in the control room.

"Is she alright?" Kakarott asked cautiously. "Dodoria didn't-"

"No!" he interrupted him, clenching his fists. "I blasted him and she was fine, no thanks to you."

"I didn't know, Vegeta. If I had known she was in danger, I would have gone to help. You know that."

"Not only were you completely useless in the battle, but you allowed that pathetic ex-mate of Bulma's on board this ship as well,"

"I knew you'd be pissed about that." Kakarott sighed. "Look, Bulma's mother insisted he come with us. What was I supposed to do?"

"Blast the low born scum and take the woman and her mate back with you!"

"Right, so if it's that easy why haven't you done that yet?" Kakarott taunted.

"Shut up!" Vegeta growled. He was exhausted. "I would have but the Woman has no recollection of him abducting her. Her father says she only knows now that he survived the demise of her planet so all is well between the two of them. If I simply blast him, it will only make her opinion of me even worse than it already is."

"I'm sorry about Yamcha, Vegeta. I knew you wouldn't be happy about it, but I didn't know what else to do. I figured we would figure it out later on." Kakarott said apologetically. "Have you tried talking to Bulma?"

"I checked in on her to make sure she was alright."

"You two share a bond, Vegeta. Surely that'll help." Kakarott shrugged.

"It is more complicated than that, you fool."

"Alright, how so?"

"Kakarott, I am exhausted! I do not wish to rehash everything with you in a manner which you will be able to understand! I just fought and destroyed Lord Frieza, I endured having my body switched with Ginyu's and I find out that my mate despises me. I do not wish to discuss it."

"You got body switched with Ginyu?" Kakarott asked. "How did that happen?"

"I did not finish him off when I had the chance and when I had the upper hand in my battle with Frieza, the no good coward switched seeing as I had dealt him a mortal wound."

"So how did you get him to switch back?"

"Bulma." Vegeta replied. "She was then bonded to Ginyu and not me when we switched. I do not know what she did, I think she irritated the hell out of him so he decided to switch into Frieza's body and so I managed to jump in his way and things were returned to the way they should be."

"Wow! Well if Bulma did that she can't hate you that much."

"I can assure you, she does. She is extremely confused and is questioning everything, but on a whole, wants nothing to do with me." He said in despair.

"Well, then it's simple, Vegeta." Kakarott said after thinking on it a moment.

"What's simple?"

"Your situation with Bulma." Kakarott said. "You both still share a bond, even if it has been weakened. That's nothing new. You severed most of it all those months ago when you thought she was dead-"

"Get on with your point! I do not wish to rehash old news!" Vegeta growled impatiently.

"You can try working with what little of the bond you two still share until she eventually wants to establish it again."

"She doesn't want me anywhere near her, you fool! Were you not listening?"

"Okay, it may take some time for that so then just court her." Kakarott shrugged.

"Court her?" Vegeta spat.

"Yea, you know, show her that you really care."

"And how the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"Well, you can start off by not blasting Yamcha, but it shouldn't be too hard, after all, you do care about her, don't you? You managed to get her to want to be your mate somehow the first time. She's still the same person, right? It may be difficult now to overcome being that they've messed with her head, but she's smart. She'll figure it out and so will you." Kakarott said confidently. "I'm going to get some food and I will be back. You need to rest. Then you can figure it out. It's going to take us four weeks to get back to Callisto and neither of you have anything better to do, right?"

Vegeta did not reply as Kakarott left. He was pondering his words. He had made it sound so damned easy! He sat there, finally allowing himself to relax. He decided he would get some rest and decide after what to do. A part of him decided that maybe giving her some space for a few days before approaching her again would be the best thing. Let her think on things on her own and then go to her. Either that or wait for her to come to him. He decided that was what he would do. He knew that her efforts earlier had been sincere. She had not meant any harm to him. He knew now that he should not have lashed out as he had at her.

He decided he was not going to do anything as foolish as courting her as Kakarott had suggested. He would not lower himself that way. He would find another way. He wasn't sure what that was, but he would take his time and think on it and in the meantime, give her some space.

-0-0-0-

The next morning, Bulma got up and headed to the kitchen where her mother had already started making breakfast.

"Good morning, dear." She greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yea, mom, I did." Bulma lied, stifling a yawn. "You?"

"Your father and I did," Bunny replied. "I haven't slept that good since we were taken from our home. So did you and that handsome prince of yours do some much needed catching up?"

"Not really, mom. We didn't. We were just too tired to have any kind of meaningful conversation," she said, not wanting to tell her anything of what she and Vegeta had discussed. She still felt horribly guilty for bringing that up yesterday. He had actually sought her out to make sure she was alright and all she'd done was pestered and prodded him into talking about something so traumatic and so personal he hadn't even confided it to her old self when they had been together. She had laid awake most of the night worrying and agonizing over it.

She wasn't sure what she was going to say to say to him or how to face him today. On the other hand, she reasoned that if he left her alone, that may be a good thing. It would give her a chance to come to terms with her negative feelings towards him and maybe overcome her fear of him as well.

Bulma quickly finished her breakfast and helped her mother finish cleaning up the small kitchen, all the while avoiding all of her prodding questions with regards to her and Vegeta and their relationship. She felt horrible, but she honestly didn't know. Anything she knew about the man wasn't something she wanted to repeat to her mother. All she knew was that she had been his concubine and that he had taken advantage of her at one point or another; she had the pregnancy to prove it. She remembered he had ignored her and she remembered him being angry and wanting her to terminate her pregnancy and not telling her he loved her. That was what she knew; that and the odd flashback here and there that went completely against what had been ingrained in her mind. She needed to find him and try to sort this out before she went mental.

She left the kitchen and wandered the ship, looking for Vegeta. She found him in the control room piloting the ship.

"Hey," she said cautiously. He turned and looked at her a moment before turning back to the window of the ship, but said nothing. "How's the shoulder?"

"Fine."

"Did you manage to get some rest?" she asked.

"Hmmn." He grunted. "You?"

"I didn't get much sleep," she confessed.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yea, I'm fine. I just, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to pry and-"

"Leave it." he gruffly interrupted her.

"Right," she nodded awkwardly. She didn't want to upset him or make him think she wanted to get into it again. "Can I have a seat?" she asked, nodding at the co-pilot's seat.

"Sure," he answered.

She took a seat next to him and looked over the controls of the ship, they were all written in a foreign language to her, but she understood what the different gauges and instruments were for.

Vegeta watched her from the corner of his eye as she looked over all of the instruments on the control panel. He couldn't help but smirk at her in memory of her doing the exact same thing when he had taken her from the tavern and headed back to Vegeta-sei. He had let her fly and land the ship, much to his father's complete outrage once he'd found out.

"Would you like to fly the ship?" he asked her.

"Would I? Sure! I'd love to!" she replied with a bright smile, though it faltered somewhat as she felt certain that they'd had that exact same conversation before.

She had piloted a ship for him before, though it had been very brief. She remembered she had been nervous about something or other and he had asked her if she knew how to fly the ship, so she had. He had let her.

**"Do you want to land?" Vegeta asked her with a smirk.**

**She looked at him in amazement. "You'd let me?"**

**"If you think you're confident enough."**

**"Oh yea. I should be able to land this thing. It looks pretty much the same as the one I built." She replied confidently. "I'd love to!"**

**"Alright, then." He replied, cancelling the auto pilot and getting up to switch her seats. "I will be over here in case you run into trouble."**

**"Thanks! I should be fine. I've flown larger planes than this." She smiled at him. She was glad to have something to keep her mind off her nerves.**

**Vegeta could visibly see her relax and calm down as she settled herself in the captains seat and started analyzing everything. He had seen her tension the second she had walked into the room. She needed to calm down. He also loved how she lit up when he had asked her if she had wanted to fly the ship. He smirked to himself over that. She was certainly easy to please.**

**Kakarott walked in. "Hey, guys!" he greeted. "Hey, Bulma! You know how to fly the ship?" He asked, confused.**

**"I do." She replied proudly.** _**This'll be a piece of cake.** _ **She thought to herself. From what she could tell, this was almost exactly like what she had been designing.**

**"Neat! I didn't know you knew how to fly." Kakarott exclaimed.**

**"Oh, you boys would be surprised at what I can do. I am a genius, after all!" She said cockily with a wink pointing her thumb at herself proudly. Vegeta rolled his eyes at her lack of modesty. Kakarott giggled.**

**"So, how long till we land?" Kakarott asked. They had already entered the planet's atmosphere.**

**"About ten minutes according to the information here with the coordinates that have been set." Bulma replied.**

**Kakarott raised his eyebrows and looked at Vegeta in surprise. Vegeta smirked. He hadn't had to help her once so far.**

**"It's beautiful here," Bulma exclaimed, briefly taking in the scenery as they flew closer to their destination. "Is that where we are going?" She asked, pointing to a large white structure.**

**"Yes. That is the landing dock that way." Vegeta pointed. "The palace is attached to it right there."**

**Bulma nodded and guided the ship skillfully towards their destination. It didn't take long to get there and Bulma was able to land the ship smoothly without incident and without any help from Vegeta to both Saiyans amazement.**

**"What did I tell ya?" She gloated.**

**"Very impressive, Bulma!"Kakarott exclaimed.**

**"Ready to go?" Vegeta asked looking at her and offering her his hand.**

**"No." she replied but took his hand anyway and allowed him to lead her to the door.**

**"It will be fine. Just follow my lead," He said, leaning in to kiss her trying to give her one last bit of encouragement and ignoring the fact that Kakarott was standing there witnessing his obvious display of affection. "Trust me." He whispered to her holding her face between both hands and looking into her eyes intensely.**

**"I do." She said almost breathlessly.**

**"Hmmn. Good." He said walking from her and opening the door.**

"Good." Vegeta said, getting up to leave, not noticing her frowning to herself.

"Where are you going?" she asked in confusion, clearing her thoughts.

"To get some much needed sleep," he said. "I will be in your room."

Bulma frowned at him as he left. So much for trying to discuss anything, though if he still hadn't gotten any sleep from yesterday, she didn't much blame him. She decided to worry about him later and focused her attention on piloting the ship.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta headed down the hall back to where Bulma's room was. On his way there, he bumped into Yamcha, who had been steadily avoiding him since last night. Without thinking, he grabbed him by the arm and threw him into Bulma's room, closing the door quickly behind them.

Before Yamcha had a chance to react, Vegeta grabbed him by the throat and hauled him up roughly against the wall.

"Hey! What the hell?" Yamcha objected.

"You will listen to me and you will listen well," Vegeta said dangerously between clenched teeth. "The only reason you are still breathing is because a deranged physician on Frieza's ship messed with Bulma's head. She has no recollection of anything concerning us and she has no recollection of you abducting her and bringing her there.

"If it had been up to me, her mother's presence or not, I would have taken great delight in tearing you limb from limb for everything you have done and what you very nearly cost me."

"I was trying to save her from you," Yamcha said weakly. "You're no good! You just used her! I never intended to have her hurt or anything like that. I just wanted to help her."

"I do not care what your intentions were," Vegeta snarled. "You nearly lost me my mate and only heir. I jumped into a battle I was not sure I could win just yet; all because of you and your stupidity. You are very fortunate that she does not remember any of that, and you are fortunate that her parents are here. Make no mistake, after this ship lands, I will take you out. I will take great pleasure in plotting how I will end your miserable pathetic life. So enjoy these next few weeks, for they will be your last."

"I'll just tell Bulma," Yamcha said casually, trying to mask his fear. "Go for it, you'll only help my cause."

"What a pathetic coward you are," Vegeta snarled, tightening his grip around Yamcha's throat. "You breathe a word to her and I will just remind her that it was because of you that she cannot remember anything and that it was you who put her in harm's way. I am sure she would love to hear about that."

"Like she would believe you over me!"

"She will regain her memories and she will come to know the truth about everything again; mark my words. And when she does, I will not hold back in destroying you. You can thank Bulma for the brief extension on your life."

Yamcha gulped in fear, he knew he was serious. "What if I leave? What if once you guys land, I just take the ship and leave?"

"Makes no difference to me, hell it would make the hunt that much more fun, cretin." Vegeta said with a cruel smirk. "If I happen to be in a good enough mood, I may even give you a few days head start before I begin looking for you. I would even prefer that. Then I could do as I wish without fear of anyone discovering me as I mutilate your body unrecognizable."

"Please don't, I didn't mean her any harm." Yamcha stuttered. "I love her, I really do. I just want to see her happy. That's all. She has her parents back and she's going to have a baby, and I guess if she remembers everything that means she'll be brainwashed again to want you. If that makes her happy then whatever. Just leave me be!"

Vegeta bared his teeth and snarled at him as he set him down none too gently. "You are to leave her alone. Understand?"

Yamcha nodded and exited out of the room as quickly as he could. He had to find a way out of this. He was certain Vegeta was serious on his threat. How was he going to win Bulma over? He supposed he had a few weeks while on the ship, but how could he do that if Vegeta was constantly keeping an eye on him? He decided to go and hide in the kitchen in the meantime and try to cook up a decent plan. He couldn't let Vegeta win her over again, he just couldn't.

-0-0-0-

Vegeta sighed heavily in annoyance as he went to lie down. How he so badly wanted to choke the life out of that human; either that or dismember him. He decided dismemberment would be the better choice. If he strangled him, he would not suffer long. Though waiting for his impending demise was a good punishment in the meantime, he thought with an evil chuckle.

He forgot all thoughts of Yamcha as he searched for Bulma through the bond; she was still blocking him; he thought in dismay. He had been hoping that since she had approached him in the control room that maybe she would have let her wall down just a bit. He hadn't wanted to leave her, but decided to keep to his plan and give them both their space for a few days. He still hadn't slept since before his arrival on Frieza's ship and so he decided that before he did anything else, getting some sleep was his main priority.

He laid down in the small bed and almost immediately wished he hadn't; Bulma's scent enveloped his senses completely. On one hand, it was a relief- confirmation that she was here and alive, safe and sound. On the other, it was almost a form of cruel torture to him; knowing she was here, but he could not have her. He berated himself for allowing himself to be so weak as to accept the fact that he needed her; he did. She was the most comforting person he had ever met. He thought of the irony of it, how he had gotten her back, but not really. He hoped with every fiber of his being that she would come back to him. She had to. She had promised him before that she would, should the worst happen to her. He again thought back to that night that he had told her she may be taken from him after Frieza's visit to Vegeta-sei:

**"You don't understand what kind of vile creatures you will be forced to be around. They are horrible and will take pleasure in breaking you- body and mind if for no other reason than because you mean something to me. They won't quit until you're either dead or spiritless," he said sadly. "I barely made it out with my pride, dignity and sanity intact."**

**"I've been through plenty already, and if I'm broken in spirit when you do find me, I'll come back to you." She said confidently.**

**"Let's hope so." He said, kissing her on the top of her head.**

**"It will work itself out," She said, looking at him. "If we are meant to be together, then we will end up together."**

**"Silly woman and your silly beliefs." He whispered, looking down at her and wanting to kiss her, but instead intertwining his fingers with her hand and leaning into her side, resting his head against hers.**

**"It's not silly." She replied firmly.**

**"Hmmn. I'll hold you to it then." He said, trying to reign in his emotions yet again. He could not fall apart in front of her.**

**"Stop obsessing over the unknown." She said.**

**Vegeta nodded, looking down at her. It was dark in the room but he could still make out the delicate features of her face. He kissed her hungrily, letting her hand go, and touching the side of her face. He gently guided her back down to the bed, his lips not breaking away from hers, kissing her deeply.**

It was with those thoughts in mind that he finally drifted off to sleep, not realizing that Bulma had briefly dropped her wall after feeling him trying to reach out to her. She had also seen and had been privy to what he had just remembered.

-0-0-0-

Bulma frowned as she took in the implications of that last flashback. That was two now within the last half an hour and she had a raging headache. She wondered if Vegeta had intentionally sent that one to her or if it had come all on its own? She had felt him trying to reach out through the bond so she had let her wall down for a moment, wondering what he'd wanted.

She thought on that memory for a moment. She felt the concern there from him and the feeling of hopelessness that he had failed her. She wondered if that had been how she had ended up on Frieza's ship. Had it been right after that memory? Was she pregnant at that point of this memory? She couldn't tell.

She wanted to go to him and ask him about this latest flashback, but she decided to just leave him be at the moment. Let him sleep. If he had wanted her company at all or wanted to speak with her, he wouldn't have walked away from her and left her here to pilot the ship all on her own, which still annoyed her to no end no matter if he had been tired or if he was still angry at her for pushing him last night to talk about things he wasn't comfortable discussing.

If he didn't want to talk to her, then she decided that she didn't want to talk to him either. She wasn't going to go chasing after him. He had told her he would start to set things right once they made it back to the ship, so far all he'd done was get angry with her for trying to learn more about him and his past, trying to find something that she can work with so that she could understand him or he'd practically ignored her.

"Hey, Bulma," Kakarott cheerfully greeted her, taking a seat next to her in the second seat.

"Hey."

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Vegeta said you were nearly really hurt during his battle with Frieza. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you."

"That's alright," she said with a smile. "Vegeta was still able to help me."

Kakarott nodded. "Look, I know this isn't my place, but I know that something bad happened to you on Frieza's ship, Vegeta mentioned it to me briefly that things aren't okay between you two, but even so, but you need to know that he'd have rather lost that fight than to have you left behind and unsafe."

"I know," she whispered.

"Then why won't you make things right with him?" he asked her.

"Because I don't know what's right anymore, Kakarott." She answered honestly with a heavy sigh. "I don't remember anything. I don't remember how we met or how we got together. I just know that he is dangerous and they said he manipulated me."

"That's not how it happened, Bulma," Kakarott said, shaking his head at her.

"It was, he left me." Bulma insisted. "He took advantage of me, made me believe that he loved me and then left me; left us."

Kakarott shook his head at her, "No, that's not what happened."

"Then what happened, Kakarott? I need to know. I know that they messed with my head and that a lot of things they lead me to believe were wrong, but I need to know what actually happened so that I can try and figure this out." She said to him almost pleadingly.

"Have you talked to Vegeta?" he asked her in response.

"Yes. No, a little. But he hasn't been all that helpful."

"Vegeta's not always the easiest person to talk to, especially when it comes to personal matters." Kakarott said after taking a moment to decide what to say to her. "He won't always tell you how he feels, but know that he cares for you more than you know, Bulma. Just give him some time. You'll see. You're the best thing that ever happened to him."

"Then why can't I remember any of that?"

"I don't know. I don't know what they did to you. All I do know was before it happened, Vegeta was doing everything he could to get to you and get you off Frieza's ship. Through your bond, you told him this might happen and all he could think of was getting to Frieza's ship and getting you out of harm's way. He didn't even know if he was strong enough to face Frieza yet. Do you think Vegeta is the type of man that would risk all that just to go after a girl that meant nothing to him?" Kakarott asked her seriously. "I realize you may not remember anything about him and that's not your fault. But I have known him almost my entire life. We are practically brothers and believe me, he wouldn't do that for just anyone. Maybe not even me. So that alone should speak volumes."

"Then why can't he just tell me that?"

Kakarott shrugged, "Because that's just not who he is. That will never change."

"Okay, but I still need something to go by then just him and you telling me that we were in a relationship before all this happened."

"You still have the bond, don't you?"

Bulma sighed in annoyance, "Yes, but I don't like it. I don't want it."

"But it would answer so many things, Bulma." Kakarott said almost pleadingly to her.

"Vegeta said that you and Chi-Chi are together. Is that true?" She asked bluntly, seemingly changing the subject.

"Yes. You don't remember us finding her and bringing her with us?"

Bulma thought for a moment and shook her head before answering, "No."

"Alright, then. Wow." He answered, exhaling harshly. "Do you remember me?"

"I do, but only vaguely. I don't feel any reason to distrust you though." She said. "So if you and Chi-Chi are together, do you have this same bond with her?"

"We share a bond, yes." Kakarott answered carefully. "It's not as intense as what you and Vegeta had because we just haven't worked that hard on different aspects of it. But what you and Vegeta had was strong and from what I know it can take mates years to develop it to the level that you guys did within a very short time."

"Why?" she asked. "Was I manipulated and brainwashed by him?"

"No, it has to be consensual for both parties in order for it to work."

"Or then what?"

"It can be devastating to the other party." He said.

"How so?"

"I don't really know. I hear it can be very painful if one mate rejects the other. I have heard of one mate passing from depression from it."

"I know that it's painful. I felt his rejection. I remember that from some point because we were separated and then when I did find him, he was angry with me for even bothering." She said, beginning to get angry again.

"Whoa, ok." Kakarott said, putting his hands up in surrender. "That's a whole lot of stuff that went down and it wasn't as cut and dry as that. I don't know what they told you, but Vegeta did not reject you; not intentionally anyway."

"So then why did he?" she pressed.

"This really isn't my place to be telling you about all of this," he objected.

"I need to know and I need to hear it from someone other than him." she said.

"Alright, but only because I want to help you understand things so that you both can start making things right between you again." he sighed. He had never met two people more stubborn than either one of them. If he knew Vegeta, he wouldn't be making this any easier on her by closing himself up as he usually did when faced with a serious personal dilemma. He was fortunate that Vegeta had given him as much insight as he had earlier or he wasn't sure he would know what to say to her. "He thought you had been killed, so he tried to sever his half of the bond so that the depression wouldn't bring him down as well. Once you found him and he knew you were alive and well, he came after you and the two of you made things right again."

Bulma nodded, taking in what he had told her. From the little bit that Vegeta had told her, it seemed to corroborate with what Kakarott had just told her. "Alright, that's fair. And if you and Chi-Chi are together like Vegeta and I were, why is your bond with Chi-Chi different?" she asked, thoroughly confused by this point.

"I don't know," he replied with a frown. "It may have a lot to do with the fact that Vegeta isn't very expressive. Chi-Chi was mad for a while about how indifferent he can be but it's just how he is. You told her that what he'll never tell you verbally you just know because of the bond, which is very true where Vegeta is concerned. Eventually though, Chi-Chi got to know him a bit better and learned how to read him and she could see right through his acting indifferent."

"You're not like that?

"No," he replied shaking his head. "But I was raised a bit differently than him too. We are a warrior race. As a whole, Saiyans don't tend to be as openly emotional as you humans seem to be. It's seen as a weakness."

Bulma huffed and nodded in understanding, "I remember him telling me that I was nothing more than a distraction and a weakness to him that he didn't have time for."

"Yeah," Kakarott commented, while wincing to himself. "That sounds like something Vegeta would say."

"Well, then he can't care that much." Bulma snipped. "I didn't even want to leave that ship with him! I wanted to get away from both him and Frieza and he guilted me into wanting to look into our past together. I was determined to leave him there to fend for himself."

"I don't believe that." Kakarott said with a knowing grin despite the harsh glare Bulma shot him. "He said that Ginyu switched bodies with him and you chased him back out."

"Only to avoid being stuck with that idiot in my head for the rest of my life!"

"Uh huh," Kakarott nodded with a grin. "Then why when Yamcha insisted of leaving without Vegeta did you say all on your own that we would wait for him? No one was stopping you then. You heard him too, he ordered me to leave without him."

"So why didn't you?"

"Because I made you do that before and it nearly destroyed you. Vegeta's orders had been for me to leave with you and I followed them and it nearly destroyed you both." Kakarott said. "I didn't want to do that to you again. Or to Vegeta. I knew he had that fight; I could sense it. There was no way he was going to lose, so I decided to wait for him. You're agreeing to wait as well confirmed to me that I had made the right decision."

Bulma frowned stubbornly and looked away from the younger Saiyan. "I only wanted to wait because he saved me twice during the battle in an effort to get me out of there and off the ship. I couldn't in good conscience leave him."

"Because deep down, you know that you and him have something together." Kakarott said gently, hoping he was getting through to her. "The bond is a deep thing, Bulma. I don't even understand all of the aspects to it. Me and Chi-Chi are still learning how to communicate effectively and are only now realizing the depths to it and we will continue to do so. You and Vegeta had a bond that was much deeper than what we have, right from the beginning you guys did. It may have been ruined by whatever it was they did to you, but it's still there and even if you don't realize it, you're still drawn to each other. That's why you still helped him and that's why you couldn't leave without him. You knew it was wrong."

Bulma shook her head. "So you're a Saiyan, just like Vegeta, why is it that you're a hopeless romantic and he's not?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"I told you, Vegeta and I are close and we grew up together, but my upbringing was still a lot different than his. His father was not a nice man." Kakarott answered. "You were really good for Vegeta."

"But was he good for me?" she asked, fighting back tears of frustration; she was beginning to feel really emotional.

"Yea, he was." Kakarott answered. "You were happy, Bulma. I don't know what else to say. Did you talk to him since he came aboard the ship?"

"Briefly, yea." She answered, sniffling as she wiped away a few stray tears that had begun to fall.

"Alright, and what happened?"

"Nothing much," she said, remembering her promise to Vegeta to not mention their conversation. "I just tended to his wounds; they weren't serious. And I didn't know what to say to him because I'm afraid of him! So I asked him about his past since Frieza had been mocking him and he just got angry with me and left."

"Yeah, that's never a good subject."

"I didn't know, though. Frieza had me completely convinced that Vegeta was the most evil and dangerous being in the universe and that he needed to be stopped. I had no idea that Frieza was even worse!" she continued, still trying not to be emotional. "I knew he was bad news, that much was obvious to me but it wasn't until Vegeta showed up and made me start questioning things that I started to see things differently and decided he was the lesser evil out of the two; so then when I decided to help him, Frieza showed up and I hid. He didn't know I was there. He was bragging to Vegeta that they had changed my feelings towards him as well as mentioned a bunch of horrible things he'd done to him while he was in his service before. I decided then and there that Vegeta wasn't as bad as Frieza, but also that I needed to get away from the both of them."

"Frieza was a horrible monster and Vegeta did this universe a huge favor by doing away with him." Kakarott confirmed, his tone serious. "And if you got the words from Frieza's mouth that they did something to change your feelings towards him, then what's holding you back?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "I'm afraid of him. They showed me what he is capable of and the horrible things he's done. I can't be with someone like that! I can't let someone like that help raise my son!"

Kakarott nodded. He was at a loss of what to say in Vegeta's defence. Vegeta hadn't told him all of the things that had happened when he had gone back into Frieza's service after Frieza had blown up the ship. He knew it was bad, though. It had been bad when he had been serving with Vegeta and they had completed missions together, he could only imagine what Vegeta's frame of mind may have been when he thought Bulma was dead. "I'm sure there's lots of bad things they said he was involved in and I know, I myself was forced into doing horrible things when I was serving under Frieza, but I've put all that behind me and so has Vegeta. He would never do anything to hurt you and trust me when I say that the last thing he would want to do is expose his son to any of the horrors we faced in our youth."

"That doesn't change the face that he's done it," she answered harshly. "I can't believe I let him touch me after everything he's done."

Kakarott was silent for a long while, unknowing what to say. That was a tough one.

"See? Even you don't have anything to say. So what do I do? I am pregnant with the child of a mass murderer. I can't remember anything good that had happened between us and on top of that, he can't even tell me he loves me and today when I approached him, he got up and left. That's why I'm here, flying the ship." She said angrily. "He said that we would make things right once we made it here and he's done nothing but get upset at me or ignore me."

"I understand, you're upset." Kakarott said quietly, not really knowing what to say to make her feel better or help Vegeta out here, this was going to be very difficult for them both to overcome. It was bad anyway, but being that they were both as stubborn and strong-willed as they were, heknew the chances at a reconciliation between them anytime soon would be slim to none. He only hoped one of them would cave just enough to let the other one in. Only then could they begin to fix this. "All I can say is give him a chance. He will not hurt you, he will not hurt your child-"

"He didn't even want me to have a child!" she interrupted him. "He wanted me to terminate it!"

"Because he was worried you may not make it through a full term pregnancy and delivery. Saiyan Women have a hard time with it. It was how his own mother died." Kakarott clarified. "And by the end of that same day, once he'd had time to think on it, he couldn't have made you do that anyway. He was just as happy about it as you were."

"Whatever, the intent was still there." She shrugged indifferently.

"Okay, just maybe take some time out. We have four weeks before we make it back home." Kakarott suggested, deciding that he wasn't getting anywhere closer to helping her see that Vegeta wasn't her enemy here. "It sounds to me like you both need your space. Take this time to do that. Talk to Chi-Chi when you get home. She'll tell you. She's not always in Vegeta's corner because she doesn't quite get him sometimes, but she knows that he cares very deeply for you and that you felt just as strongly."

Bulma nodded, deciding that for now, that was good advice. She sat there a moment, quietly, calming herself down a little, relaxing as she piloted the ship.

"Do you want me to take over for a bit?" Kakarott asked.

"I guess, if you want." She shrugged. "I don't mind flying. It gives me time to think."

"It's up to you."

"Well, I've been up here for a while now." She reasoned. "I'll go check on my parents and see what they're up to."

"That's not a bad idea." Kakarott agreed.

Bulma smiled awkwardly at him. "Thank you, for helping me to clarify a few things."

"Hey, no problem!" Kakarott grinned, switching seats with her. "I just hoped I helped and didn't confuse you more."

"No, you helped." She said. "Just one more thing though,"

"What's that?"

"How did I end up on Frieza's ship?" she asked. "I only ask because I can't remember how I got there and Vegeta mentioned something about Yamcha drugging me and taking me against my will. I kinda dismissed it at first because at the time, I thought he would say anything to manipulate me.

"When I first saw Yamcha on the ship, he was confused as to why I didn't know he had been sent to the harem, which I still don't understand why I would know that and when I asked him about it later on, he just dismissed it all together; he won't say. Not only that, but he seems to hate Vegeta without having a reason to. He keeps telling me that Vegeta is no good for me but when I ask him why, he changes the subject. Was Vegeta telling the truth about Yamcha?"

Kakarott nodded sheepishly. "Yea, that's what happened."

"Well, no, tell me what happened." She demanded.

"When we arrived on Callisto, it turned out that he had survived your planet's destruction and he was there. He wanted to resume your relationship and you weren't interested because you and Vegeta were already bonded and mated by that point." He went on to explain, unsure if it was a good idea being that they were all on such a small ship. Any kind of drama would not be good. "So when Vegeta showed up, you and Yamcha got into an argument and Vegeta got angry and shoved him away from you because things between you two got heated. He threatened him to stay away and we didn't see or hear from him for several weeks. Do you remember the dogs?"

Bulma, who had been frowning at Kakarott's account, smiled almost instantly at the mention of the dogs. She remembered them! "Yea, of course I do! Aro and Danger!"

"That's right. You took Aro out for a walk and he returned to the house without you and he was covered in blood and had a stab wound in his shoulder. You told Vegeta through the bond that Yamcha attacked you when you refused to go with him and Aro bit him badly but was injured, by Yamcha, in his attempt to protect you. You also told Vegeta that you'd sent Aro home so he wouldn't be further injured and in that time, he had taken off in a ship with you. You were out for two or three days before you woke up and were able to communicate with Vegeta through your bond and told him what had happened and how Yamcha was bringing you to Lord Frieza. Almost immediately, Vegeta and I came after you."

Bulma nodded for a moment then sighed in extreme frustration. "I don't remember any of this!"

"I'm sorry,"

"It's not your fault." She replied. "Thanks for telling me. You're telling the truth, right?"

Kakarott nodded. "I am. Take a look at Yamcha's right arm the next time you speak with him. Aro got him real good. It's all scarred up I noticed. Plus you told Vegeta that Aro had gotten him there."

Bulma groaned in agitation. She needed to talk to Yamcha and see if he would fess up to the story. For some reason, her gut told her that this was the truth. At least she had something to go by now when she confronted him on it. He had a scar to prove it. "Thanks, Kakarott," she smiled and left him there to pilot the ship on his own.

She needed to get some answers from her ex-boyfriend.

-0-0-0-

Yamcha was almost finished his meal when Bulma casually strolled into the kitchen. "Hey, B." he greeted her.

"Hey," she answered indifferently as she began rummaging through the cupboards in search for a cup so that she could have a cup of what seemed to be coffee while she took a moment to think things through before confronting him.

"What are you looking for?" he asked casually, watching her.

"I need a cup of coffee."

"There's cups in that cupboard," he said pointing to the cupboards above to the right of where she was already looking.

Bulma reached up to where he had pointed and grabbed herself a cup and poured herself a cup of black coffee. She sat down across the table from where Yamcha was sitting and looked at him for a long moment while she decided on what the best approach to this would be. Should she just confront him about what Kakarott had told her he had done? Or should she play it cool and see if he would fess up to it all on his own? She wasn't sure.

Things between them hadn't exactly been perfect before her planet had been destroyed. They had been on the outs again. She remembered trying to call him when her home had been attacked. She had wanted to make sure he was alright, but couldn't get through. She had assumed the worst at that point and had let it go.

While she was glad that he was alright, that didn't mean that she wanted to resume their relationship again. Vegeta being in the picture or not. He had annoyed her yesterday when she had arrived on the ship. Right away he had pushed that they leave without giving Vegeta any thought. She knew that Vegeta had instructed Kakarott to bring both her parents to the ship. Yamcha just happened to be with her mother and came with them. If Vegeta hadn't asked Kakarott to do that, he too would still be on Frieza's ship.

Not only that, but once she had said hello to both her parents and had announced that she needed to rest, he had hovered all over her until Vegeta had shown up to speak with her. She hadn't really known what to say to Vegeta and hadn't really been ready to face him, but she had been more than relieved that his presence had made Yamcha leave. Even then, he had been rude to Vegeta and objected when she had said he could stay.

"How are you today?" Yamcha asked her. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Yea," she replied, sipping her coffee. "You?"

"I slept alright," he nodded. "I was kinda worried about you though."

"Why?"

"I was just not comfortable leaving you there with Vegeta was all," he admitted with a casual shrug. "That guy is no good, B."

Bulma calmly took another ship of her coffee and nodded. "Well, I'm here, safe and sound because of him, Yamcha. So are you and so are my parents. He didn't have to make sure you three made it off the ship, but he did. He can't be that bad."

"That's what he wants you to think, though." Yamcha objected.

"Alright, Yamcha," she sighed warily, "What am I supposed to think then? I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but on my time of Frieza's ship, they erased my memory. I can't remember anything after Earth being destroyed."

"Oh wow, that sucks," Yamcha commented. _So Vegeta hadn't been lying about that. Interesting._ He thought to himself. "Why did they do that?"

"I don't know," She sighed, shaking her head. "But what I do know is it's pissing me off that everyone around here knows everything about everything and I'm stuck in the dark."

"That's shitty." He said. "Well, maybe I can help? What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was taken from my home by a huge green alien. He was actually pretty handsome. Anyway, he tried to rape me, but I don't think he succeeded; the memory of it is pretty vague. I remember Vegeta beating him to death though. I think that's how we met. He saved me from that guy. But I'm not sure." Bulma said honestly. That was her first recollection of Vegeta. Though it was frightening and she could remember that part in near perfect clarity, she decided that he couldn't be that bad if he'd helped her out.

"Are you sure he saved you or did he just kill some guy so that he could take you for himself?" Yamcha asked her, not hiding his dislike for Vegeta.

"I don't know," she answered. "But that guy he killed wasn't a nice guy. He would have raped me if it weren't for Vegeta. On Frieza's ship, said a lot of bad stuff about him, but I don't know what's true and what's not. He hasn't acted like a man who would hurt me. From my time of Frieza's ship, I know he can't be any worse than Frieza was."

"Well, I don't like him." Yamcha said. "I think he manipulated you into wanting him or he made you feel like you couldn't leave him."

"What makes you say that?"

"B, do you remember planet Callisto?"

"Some things," she nodded. "Mostly the dogs. Chi-Chi is there, right? I can't even remember finding her."

"Right, well after Earth was destroyed, I was sold and brought there. It's a nice place. There's tons of different alien races there from situations like what happened to our planet. This guy just buys refugees and lets them live there. It's awesome, actually.

"So I was there a while and then you and Chi-Chi showed up. Kakarott brought you guys there with Krillin. Do you remember him?"

Bulma frowned in thought and then shook her head. "No."

"Okay, well you guys ran into him I guess and he brought you all there. Chi-Chi has some weird thing going on with that Kakarott guy and you were all obsessed over this Vegeta, who was nowhere to be found. You never said, but I think he just ditched you and ran off. I figured it was either that or you tried to escape from him. Anyway, we finally met up and I wanted to get back together with you but you wouldn't because of Vegeta, who you said was your husband. I didn't believe it because you and I were together so long that it didn't make sense that you would just hook up with some alien you'd known over the course of a few months. So things weren't exactly alright between us. B, I think either he brainwashed you or you were too afraid of him to leave even though he wasn't around to know any different. He had some type of hold on you. It wasn't normal."

Bulma took another thoughtful sip from her coffee as she took in Yamcha's version of everything. "Was I in love with him?"

"You claimed to be, yea." Yamcha replied. "But I think it was all because he did something to you. I know you, B. There's no way you'd have just hooked up with some random guy like that unless you were forced into it. And I tried to point that out to you, but it only made you angry so we weren't in speaking terms for a while."

"Did Vegeta finally show up?"

Yamcha snorted, "Yeah, and the asshole attacked me for talking to you. B, he nearly ripped my arm off! And you were right behind him, supporting him and couldn't care less."

"So then what?" Bulma asked. "How did I end up on Frieza's ship?"

Yamcha looked at her carefully at the pointed question, "Did he tell you something about that? That it was my fault? Because it wasn't. I was trying to help you."

"He hasn't told me anything, Yamcha." Bulma answered, beginning to feel very confident in Kakarott's side of the story at this point. "We didn't speak much last night. He only wanted to make sure that me and the baby hadn't been injured in the fight. It was pretty bad. One of Frieza's soldiers got a hold of me and roughed me up, really bad. Thank god Vegeta had made it when he did."

"Well, don't listen to him, I'm sure he's going to find a way to blame me for what happened." Yamcha huffed.

"Well then, what happened?"

"I had heard down the grapevine one of Frieza's soldiers discussing Vegeta and how dangerous he was. He was a wanted man, Bulma. So I spoke with him, he was very interested in Vegeta's whereabouts and when I mentioned you, he confirmed to me that your father was on the ship working for Frieza's science department. I knew you'd be thrilled about that and I took it as an opportunity to get you away from Vegeta and reunite you with your father. I had no idea that they would take you and erase your memories.

"It turned out to not have been such a good idea. Frieza didn't uphold his end in getting me a decent job there. I had been hoping we could start our life together again there. When you came on this ship yesterday, that was the first time I'd seen you since we had arrived there." He said, reaching over the table and taking her hand. "You've been through a lot. I'm so glad you are okay."

"I'm not okay, Yamcha." She said, looking down at his hand over hers. "I can't remember anything. I'm supposedly married to one of the universes most dangerous and notorious warriors and I'm pregnant with his child. Yamcha, I am far from okay."

"Well, you will be okay. Now that you're here and you have both your parents." Yamcha said soothingly. "We can start a new life together now that that hold or whatever he had on you has been broken. Looks like Frieza did you a favor in that regard. You and I can pick up where we left off and that's okay that you're pregnant. I don't care about that. I'll raise it with you like it was my own."

Bulma sat there for a long moment thinking on that. She was having the odd sense of Deja vu here with this conversation.

"What do you say, B?" Yamcha pressed, feeling relieved that she seemed to be considering it. Before, she had just shot him down without even thinking it through. "We don't even need to stay on that planet. Once we land, I can make sure the ship is refuelled and we can take your parents and leave. You don't have to tell him. We can just go and he'll never find us. We can start a new life together and it will be wonderful."

That had been her plan. To get away from both Vegeta and Frieza and start her own life somewhere on her own. She had both of her parents there for support, so that was even better than she had thought in the first place when she had begun making plans to leave. However, she wasn't sure she wanted Yamcha included in on those plans. "I need time," Bulma said, taking her hand back and away from his. "I need to sort this out. I need to remember everything that happened."

"What if that never happens, B?"

"Then it doesn't and I'll make my own decision from there." She said.

"Will that decision include me?"

"I don't know, Yamcha." She sighed in frustration. This was always how it was between them. They would break up, usually because he'd cheated on her and then he would beg and beg for to take him back; insisting that he'd changed and that things would be different, which they would be for a few weeks and then he would resort back to his old ways when he got tired of waiting for her to sleep with him. "Back home, before everything happened, we were done. I had decided that we were finished for good."

"I know, I was a complete jerk." He admitted quickly. "But after all that's happened, I've changed. I realize what's really important, and that's you, B. And I know I wasn't the best boyfriend, but I really feel like we've been given a second, no, a third chance here!

"It was no coincidence that you happened to end up on the same planet as I was on after Earth was destroyed! And now you can be free of whatever Vegeta did to you. Bonus that you can't remember; I'm sure that's something you wouldn't want to remember anyway."

"Why not?"

"Because Frieza's soldier told me that you were nothing more than his sex slave." He replied bluntly.

"I know that's what they all said, but I have a hard time believing that-"

"It's true, B!" Yamcha insisted. "He bought you, or who knows, even stole you from someone else and then manipulated you into thinking that he loved you so you'd put out for him. He apparently bragged about how easy it had been!"

Bulma nodded and gulped down the rest of her coffee in an effort to swallow the lump in her throat. There that was again, that fact that everyone but her seemed to know. That she was apparently his sex slave. Had that been true? Maybe in the beginning and then she'd fallen for him? No, that didn't make sense at all to her. But why did this seem to be so obvious to everyone else but not her?

"I'm sorry, B." Yamcha said to her, noticing how upset she was. "I really am. You see why I want to get you away from him?"

She nodded. "Did you have any proof of that? Had I said that was the case before?"

"No. You were just completely enamoured over him." he shrugged. "It wasn't normal, whatever it was and you refused to see reason."

Bulma thought back on the bond. Maybe that was what had clouded her judgement where Vegeta was concerned. She didn't know enough about it though. Could Vegeta have used it to brainwash her into thinking what they had was a normal, healthy relationship? In which case, as much as she didn't want to admit it, maybe Yamcha was right.

"So, I refused to see reason?" she asked him carefully, realizing that he had still left out the part on how she exactly had made it on Frieza's ship in the first place.

"Yea. Like I've known you for years and I know how stubborn you can be when you are determined about something, but this was just something different all together. I tried to talk sense into you and you wouldn't listen. You so much as didn't even care that your father was alive and well. You still wanted to stay with him." Yamcha said. "That's when I knew I had to get you out of there and away from him; that he'd done something horrible to you to have clouded your judgement that much. I know how much your family means to you. There was no way the Bulma I knew wouldn't have wanted to go searching for your father."

"So then how did I get on Frieza's ship? Did you take me by force, since you say I refused to see reason?"

Yamcha paled a little at the question, "Well, I wouldn't say by force exactly. You were being pretty stubborn. But I eventually got you to leave."

"How?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter," he said, weaving a hand in dismissal. "You're safe now, you're reunited with your parents. That's the main thing."

Bulma nodded, watching him carefully and noting the scar on his arm. Kakarott had told her that Aro had gotten him good in an attempt to protect her. It still looked pretty bad. "What happened there?" she asked, pointing to his arm.

"Oh, this?" he asked, looking down and frowning. "It's nothing."

"It sure doesn't look like nothing. It looks like a bite." She said. "A bad one too."

"Yeah, one of your dogs bit me." He admitted.

"Why?"

"Cause he's crazy. You taught him to do that, I don't know why. I wasn't even doing anything and the dog bit me and wouldn't let go. You should have that animal destroyed when you get back. Especially if you're going to have a baby. I'd be real concerned."

Bulma took in his words and dismissal of her original question. She remembered Aro and she remembered Danger. She didn't remember Aro biting Yamcha, but she remembered that the dog was definitely not crazy. If he bit Yamcha, he probably felt he had a reason to do so. That could have been said of either dog. "Which dog bit you?"

"The Shepherd Mal." He said. "That dog is nuts, B. He has like no off switch and the other one's not much better."

"Alright," she sighed as she got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Yamcha asked.

"I need to lie down, I need to think for a bit."

"Make sure you think about what I said, B. I think we could have a real chance at making things work between us this time." He said hopefully to her.

"We'll see. I think I need some time alone for now. You and I had some serious issues from before and just because the planet is gone doesn't make those issues between us disappear." She said, though she didn't tell him a part of her decision at the moment was because she knew he wasn't being completely upfront with her. If she hadn't wanted to go with him and he had forced her to leave and now this was the outcome- her having no memory of anything and hating the father of her child as a result of Frieza's scientists, then she didn't want anything to do with Yamcha either. If she had truly been happy with Vegeta, as Kakarott and Frieza had indicated and Yamcha had destroyed that, she wasn't sure she would be able to forgive or overlook that. Especially if she never remembered everything for herself.

She also knew Yamcha would say anything to get her to come back to him. He had always been that way. Promised her the world and then promptly forgot about it all later on. She did not want to fall into that pattern again. Especially since she had a child to think about now as well. She would rather do this all on her own than be in an unstable relationship with either Yamcha or Vegeta. Where Vegeta was concerned though, she was mostly worried about his influence on the child. She did not want him teaching her child to grow up and be like him. She would die if that happened.

"B, I promise. Just give me a chance," Yamcha pleaded.

"Yamcha, I'm exhausted." She snapped. "I'm confused. I don't trust anybody."

"You can trust me." He objected.

"Can I? How many times did you promise me things would be different between us only to go back on that within a matter of weeks? I have a child to think about now. Just leave me be."

"But I've changed, Bulma." He said again. "I really have. You just need to give me a chance."

Bulma exhaled in annoyance. "Then give me my space and let me make my own decision, don't pressure me. Show me that you've changed and maybe I'll give you that chance."

"Really? You'll give me a chance?" he beamed.

"I said maybe." She snipped. "Don't get your hopes up though. You have a lot to prove before I'll even consider it. Giving me my space and not hovering all over me is a step in the right direction though."

"Consider it done, B." he answered happily. "Take as much time as you need. I'll wait."

Buma just nodded and left the kitchen. She hoped that she hadn't just dug herself into another mess with him. At least maybe he'd give her some space to think about things for a few days. Maybe she could figure things out somewhat between her and Vegeta. Find out if things had been good between them or had she just been manipulated like Yamcha and all of Frieza's doctors had led her to believe.

She didn't know why, but Kakarott's account seemed the most believable. She could barely remember him, so she didn't know why she was putting so much store into what he had told her about her and Vegeta. Maybe it was wishful thinking on her part. She didn't want to believe that she had been manipulated.

Bulma walked carefully into her room, noting that Vegeta wasn't there anymore, which relieved her very much. She didn't feel like opening another round of emotional discussion with anyone at the moment. She decided she would take a nap and then seek him out. Try to hash all of this out for good. Either way, good or bad, she needed to know!


	32. Chapter 32

_**Disclaimer**_ : I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

**_CHAPTER 32_ **

_**Two Weeks Later…** _

Vegeta snuck quietly into her room. He had been doing that almost every night this past week and a half; he'd sit on the floor against the door across from the bed and watch her as she slept, taking in her familiar scent. He wanted so badly to do nothing more than just crawl into bed with her and hold her. It had felt like an eternity since he'd last held her close. While he berated himself for being so weak, he also thought of all the times he had taken it for granted. Now all he wanted was to be near her. He craved her closeness.

But would she welcome it? Would she welcome him?

She wasn't the same woman before all of this. She didn't remember anything intimate that they had shared together. He knew that she wanted to talk to him. He had felt her several times over the last few days trying to reach out to him through what was left of the bond. He didn't know why he felt the need to block her out now. Frieza was destroyed. She was safe. They were all on their way home back to Callisto. He should have been elated.

Why was he distancing himself now? She obviously wanted to try and possibly salvage something, why else had she been seeking him out? She had not said anything hateful towards him or run from him since they got onto the ship. He had felt she would need her space so he was giving her that. The first few days they had barely spoken after he initially sought her out and he had gotten upset with her. Now, two weeks later, she wanted to talk to him and he was dreading it. What was wrong with him?

He sighed and buried his head into his hands. He knew why.

She had been privy to the horrible revelations with regards to his past. He had kept all of that locked away from her before. He had hoped never to revisit it again. Ever. Now, not only did she know his deepest shame, she had found out after they had wiped her memory of him and when she had reached out, he had lashed back angrily at her with the worst of it. She probably thought he was weak now.

Frieza had alluded to it when she had first arrived on the ship. Thankfully she did not seem to remember that bit. He remembered the shame and dread he had felt and how upset and disgusted she had been. She had told him she had been disgusted with Frieza, not him. But how could that be?

Now what did she feel? He remembered the look of horror on her face when Frieza had revealed the full extent of his abuse in front of her. Now she seemed to want to reach out to him? Why? She should be repulsed by him; repulsed that he hadn't been able to protect himself in the most basic way. He himself was repulsed; that he hadn't had enough strength or control; that he was defenseless and his body had betrayed him. He shook with rage at the memories of it. Was it pity? Was that why she was trying to reach out to him now? He did not want her pity. Worse yet, he did not want her to want him out of pity; he would rather she not want him at all than out of pity. If that was the case, he almost wished she still hated him, would have possibly preferred it. This way he felt like nothing more than a charity case to her she _had_ to give him a chance now that she knew.

Damned Frieza! He hoped he was rotting in the deepest depths of hell! No one but himself and the lizard tyrant had known anything of what had gone on. Vegeta had wanted it kept that way. Kakarott didn't know. He hadn't even been comfortable confiding in Bardock with it, and Bardock was the one person he had trusted back then. But now the Woman knew. That was too many people who knew. Worse yet, what if she told everyone on the ship about what had happened to him? He figured she wouldn't, so far she had kept to her word and hadn't said anything. Sure her mind had been messed with but she wasn't daft. He hoped anyway. He just hoped she wasn't seeking him out because she wanted to discuss it. He would not discuss it any further with anyone. Not even her.

Vegeta sighed heavily again and looked at her long and hard. She looked so peaceful as she slept on her stomach, her face facing him. How was he going to fix this?

He was really starting to wish he had sent her away with Kakarott, even after the fight. Being confined in the ship with her and everyone else was more than he could handle at the moment. He needed his space. He knew she wanted to talk to him. He didn't miss her questioning gaze every time he left the room in an effort to avoid her. He wished he had taken a separate ship on his own to follow them on. Instead he had to avoid the Weakling and endure awkward conversation with Bulma's parents, yet not make it appear that he was intentionally avoiding Bulma as well.

It was a four week trip back to Callisto. The solitude would have been glorious. He wanted to fix things with her- he really did! He just needed time. Time to bury everything again. Time to reflect on what his next step would be now that Frieza was finally destroyed. He had never thought or planned anything after defeating him. It had just been something he had been determined to do since as far back as he could remember. Now that it was done, he felt a mixture of relief, like a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders, but he also felt empty. Now what would he strive for? Defeating Frieza had always been his life's number one priority. He supposed becoming King of Vegeta-sei was a close second, but that was always in the cards for him; a guaranteed eventuality. He knew he would be able to defeat his father quite easily now; there was no thrill or anticipation for it even. Just an eventuality. However, he was still at a loss of what his next step would be. Should he go back home to his father and settle matters there? Or should he wait on that until Bulma birthed their son? What would he do if she truly did not want him around? That was something else he needed time to figure out: he needed time to figure out what he wanted to say to her, what he needed to say to her. What could he say to her? Everything he felt needed to be said was for her _before_ she had lost her memories.

Bulma before all of this would have known what he should to do. He missed her. Sure she was here in the flesh, but in mind she was completely lost to him. He clenched his fists in anger that he had allowed himself to be so dependent on her and her opinion. She was just a weak, frail woman. How had he let her weave herself into his soul so much that he actually felt lost without her? What did her opinion matter, anyway? He was the strongest being in the universe. He should feel free to make his own decisions without having to feel like he should consult his mate for guidance and acceptance. He decided then that it didn't matter. He would make his choices with or without her. She would either accept them or not. He would not be so weak as to allow her to influence him that much again. Not after all of this. Potentially losing her again had scared him much more than he would ever admit.

Vegeta sighed again; harshly raking his hands through his thick hair before looking back up to her only to find a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at him.

He froze.

How long had she been watching him?

She smiled shyly at him and extended her right hand out to him, her fingertips just barely grazing his knee. He looked at her hand a moment, debating whether or not to take it. He wanted to so badly. After debating a few moments, he reached back carefully with his hand, allowing her to entwine her fingers with his. The simple gesture flooded him with a number of emotions. Relief mostly.

"Hey," she said sleepily.

"Hmmn."

"How long are you going to just sit there?" she asked.

He frowned in question.

"For at least the last week or so you've come in here and sat on the floor," she said. "You can come lie down here you know."

"I was under the impression you did not want me anywhere near you."

"You're right, I didn't." she admitted. "But I've had a few days to think about things rationally."

He gave her a guarded expression and she continued. "While I am sad you've avoided me, I am at the same time thankful you've given me my space to think things through for myself. Frieza admitted to you when he didn't know I was around that they had wiped my mind of your distraction and any "amorous feelings" I'd had for you. I've decided that had you been all bad like they led me to believe, I wouldn't have loved you and we would not be having a child."

"I thought they told you I had forced myself on you."

"They did." She nodded.

"And you do not believe that now?" he asked, suspiciously narrowing his dark eyes at her. "Why?"

"I know they did something to me. Every negative thing that came to pass between us, I can remember. Had you forced yourself on me, I am positive they'd have made sure I remembered it, and they would have made sure I had remembered it vividly. I have no recollection of anything like that ever happening.

"As well, when I took you back to your cell and you touched me, I did not get the feeling that you could have done such a thing. You did not act like a man who had treated me badly or didn't care about our wellbeing."

He nodded, beginning to feel somewhat relieved. Maybe there was hope?

She pulled on his hand. He gave her a curious frown. "Take off your armor and come lie down. It's stupid for you to sit on the floor every night."

He shook his head at her.

"Come on," she urged, pulling on him again. "Vegeta, I'm trying here. Everything within my head is telling me to stay away from you. I am trying to fight through that. I can't do it alone. You said we'd set matters straight when we made it back to the ship. All you've done is avoid me. At first it was what I needed, but now I think I am ready to try and figure things out."

Vegeta nodded in agreement after considering her petition to him for a moment and stood up. He removed his gloves, boots and armor, leaving himself only in his royal blue sleeveless flight suit. He carefully crawled on to the small bed next to her, lying down on his back with his arms at his sides, unsure with what she would be comfortable with; he fought every urge to roll over on his side and pull her into his arms. Though he desperately craved the contact, he knew she had to initiate it.

They both lay there awkwardly tense. He hadn't missed how she had tensed up a soon as he lay down next to her and his heart sank.

Neither one said a word for several minutes. They just lay there side by side, not touching but close enough because of the small bed to be able to feel the other's body heat.

Bulma wasn't sure what to do. She'd meant well in asking him to share a bed with her but now that he had accepted and was lying next to her, she felt completely paralyzed. She wasn't sure by what: fear? Nervousness? Maybe a bit of both? She just wanted to try and find some neutral ground with him. So far she could find none. Her old self had seen something in him and had fallen for him. She had to have seen something there to have allowed herself that. But what had it been? So far, as it stood at the moment, she found him to be cold, unfeeling, unapproachable and distant. But it also occurred to her, despite her mind telling her otherwise, that he was probably just as unsure about her as she was about him.

She turned her head slightly to look at him and noticed his arms were at his side, not crossed as they usually were. Maybe that was a sign? She felt like she was 16 again and on her first date. From what she remembered, one party leaving their arm or hand out was an invitation to the other to hold hands. Was it the same with him? He didn't seem like the type of guy who would want to sit and hold hands. He was obviously an alien- to her any way. What if the customs were different? Her other self had obviously charmed him. _What the hell._ She thought to herself after taking another quick glance at him; his eyes were closed, his jaw looked clenched; his hand next to her was closed in a loose fist, but he looked more or less relaxed. She took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge.

Bulma extended her small finger on her right hand, just grazing the top of his left hand, which was still closed in a fist. To her amusement, his hand un-clenched almost immediately at the contact. She hooked her little finger with his and felt her stomach do a somersault as he extended the rest of his fingers, lacing them with hers. She couldn't help but smile to herself. Finally! Something from him!

She knew he was hurting from whatever it was that had happened and he had obviously been through a lot in his life; it was bothering her. So she decided she needed to at least try with him. There had to be more to him than just the angry violent person they had made her believe he was.

"So?" she said, wanting to break the awkward silence between them.

"Hmmn?"

"How did we meet?"

He turned his head and looked at her, "You cannot be serious."

"I am," she nodded, taking in his odd expression. "We have two weeks until we get back to that planet. Humor me."

He sighed heavily, pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand and began to tell her. While he really did not feel like talking, he decided that this was a good thing. She seemed to remember everything about her life up until meeting him. So he took the opportunity to mention things that he knew about her life on her planet before it had been destroyed. He had told her about the ship she had not had the opportunity to finish. He spoke of her big black dog, Cable.

He told her about their first meeting at the tavern and how impressed he had been with her capsule technology. How he had left and then had come back for her. He told her how amazed he'd been that she knew how to build and fly ships, among other things. Oddly enough, she remembered the gravity simulator. She couldn't remember why she'd created it, but she remembered it. He told her how proud she'd been of it and how proud of her he'd been; how much it had helped him in his training and learning to manage his ascended state.

The conversation went very well until she'd asked him if she had been his concubine. Apparently Frieza and Dr. Gero had drilled that fact over and over again into her mind. That she had been nothing more to him than that.

"I told my father and everyone else that you were my concubine, yes. However that was never the actual arrangement." He replied carefully.

"So what was the arrangement then?"

"You were to work in the lab with Bardock, Kakarott's father, in secret," he said. "It is not proper for a woman to work in the lab and I did not want you staying in the slave quarters."

"So if it isn't proper, why did you decide to put me in the lab?"

"I was impressed with your brilliant mind. Enough that I knew to not bring you back would be a mistake. Bardock agreed and was more than willing to overlook the matter of propriety."

"So you did just want to use Me." she said accusingly.

Vegeta sighed. "I suppose so, yes. However I never hid my intentions. You wanted to help me in my efforts to destroy Frieza since it was him who destroyed your home planet. You were more than willing to help."

Bulma was quiet a moment. That sounded like her: always wanting to help wherever and however she could. "And we fell in love at some point?"

Vegeta nodded but did not reply.

"And you never treated me like a sex slave?"

"No," he replied. "Never."

"So how did it happen that we were separated then?" She asked. "Frieza told me you blew up your ship with me in it. That's why you thought I was dead."

Vegeta grumbled in irritation, "Look, I understand you do not remember these things, but if you would just allow me to use the bond, you could simply see for yourself all the things that took place."

"No."

"Why not?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"Because I want you to tell me. I don't even know if I want to reopen and establish this bond." She said firmly. "I've had enough of people messing around in my head! Putting images there, taking things out, embellishing things and twisting them into something else, other people jumping in and out; by the way that whole body snatching thing with you and that Ginyu guy was terrifying! I thought I was going to be stuck with him in my head forever. Do you know how violated I feel? Not only that, but I don't," she sighed in frustration. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want you knowing every random thought that flies through my mind. I have a lot of them and-"

"Oh, I know," he said sarcastically. "Believe me, I know."

Bulma glared at him, "I am being completely serious here! I don't want anyone messing around in my head anymore."

"I am not just _anyone_." He growled. "I am your mate. And it works both ways. I cannot take back what they did to you and I am sure having that Ginyu fool in your head was alarming but it is not supposed to be that way. The bond is only intended to be between mates."

"I realize that, Vegeta, but I don't know you. I don't even know if I _want_ to know you. I am trying to gather up as much information as I can in order to make a decision,"

"And what decision is that?"

"Whether I stick around and allow our child to know their father or not. I honestly don't know if that's such a good idea. Not knowing what I know."

"And tell me, Woman, what is it you _think_ you know? Did I not nearly kill myself in my efforts to get you off that bastard's ship?"

"And that's another thing! Stop calling me Woman." She said angrily. "It's disrespectful. I have a name. Use it!"

"I am very well aware of your name," he replied in a bored tone. "And I will call you whatever I want."

"Fine! Then I will just start calling you Man then. How's that?" she replied petulantly.

"Matters little to me what you decide to call me," he shrugged, letting go of her hand and quickly maneuvering himself above her without actually touching her or placing any weight on her. "So long as it's complimentary when you are screaming it out in pleasure."

"You!" she cried in outrage. "You disgusting asshole!"

"No, you never called me that one," he said shaking his head in amusement, looking down at her playfully. "You preferred likening me to a deity on most occasions from what I can recall. I certainly was not opposed to it."

"I cannot believe you!" she raged at him, placing her hands on his chest and trying to push him away from her. "Get off of me!"

He chuckled and brushed her hair out of her face; she flinched at his touch and smacked him on his shoulder. Vegeta grabbed the offending hand with one of his, threading his fingers with hers.

"Get your disgusting hands off of me!" she said through gritted teeth, her body tensing up in fear again.

"Not until you answer my question, Woman." He said calmly.

She began to tremble beneath him, her eyes wide and a scowl was etched across her feminine features, but he could see the fear within her eyes and once again, his heart sank at the thought that she would be that fearful of him.

"What question?"

"I asked you, what do you think you know?"

"I don't understand." She replied shakily.

"Stop your shaking and cowering. I am not going to hurt you," he said softly, now regretting his bold movement towards her. He had only meant to tease her a little, not make her feel threatened. He was reminded yet again how much she had changed since he had last seen her. "Now, you said earlier, and I quote: 'I am trying to gather information to make a decision whether or not to stick around and let our child know their father. I don't think it's a good idea, knowing what I know.' That is what you said and I want to know: What is it you _think_ you know?"

Bulma looked up at him cautiously. He was so close to her, she could feel his breath brushing against her cheek as he looked down at her. His face was stony, but his eyes were soft. She didn't like that he was so close; he had placed himself just above her and was holding himself up with an elbow near her side and holding her hand by her side with his other hand. This was her fault. She chastised herself. Why had she invited him to share a bed with her in the first place? She wasn't sure what had ever possessed her! Now here they were, in a very compromising and intimate position. She didn't like it. If he decided to have his way with her, there would be nothing she could do to stop him.

Part of herself was so terrified of him in this moment, she was very nearly on the verge of tears. The other part seemed to know that he would not hurt her or take advantage of her. Besides, if he had really wanted to do that, he most likely would have by now instead of arguing with her, she reasoned.

She looked at him again, studying the imploring look her was giving her. The look in his eyes reassured her that he spoke the truth. He would not hurt her. So far he hadn't. He had protected her back on Frieza's ship when he hadn't had to. So why would he hurt her now?

"Tell me, Bulma." He urged softly. His gentle tone and use of her name brought her out of her thoughts.

"I saw," She stuttered. "I saw video footage of you on several missions. I saw what you are capable of. How many innocent beings you've killed with your bare hands. And you enjoyed it. You laughed maniacally and reveled in the carnage you created."

Vegeta hung his head, unsure of how to respond.

"You took delight in destroying those civilizations." She said. "How could I be with someone like that?"

"I was following orders." He answered.

"Vegeta, there is a difference between following orders and making sport of it."

"I never tortured or maimed and left anyone behind to suffer. I simply went in and did whatever job I was sent to do."

"That may be true, but you still enjoyed the mayhem and destruction." She said accusingly. "From what I saw, there was no remorse. No mercy or pity. Just a ruthless murderer. No different from the beings who came down to my planet and slaughtered most of us. The rest of a very select few of us, like me, were taken."

Vegeta nodded and sat up and away from her. There wasn't anything he could say to defend himself. He had a pretty good idea what she had seen. In the time span between those eight months he thought her dead, he had been crazy. He had gone out on every possible mission he could just to be off of Frieza's ship. It had served to keep him distracted from mourning her loss. He had taken pleasure in destroying things wherever he went and killing all those that had crossed his path. He was not proud of it, but he had still done it. He had been quick and efficient. Found relief in letting the bloodlust and desire for battle take over everything else he had been feeling at the time.

Each and every single mission, he had envisioned slaughtering Frieza or his father, the elders; even Asia from time to time. He had admitted to Bulma when they had finally been reunited that her loss and the hatred of those responsible had kept him alive. He had not elaborated on it, for fear of this very reaction from her.

Bulma sat up in the bed and leaned her back against the wall, bringing her knees up to her chest, feeling less stifled now that he wasn't quite so close to her. She could not read the expression on his face. "Have you nothing to say? No explanation?"

"What is it you want me to say?" he asked almost bitterly. "I did do all of those things. I will not say I did not enjoy doing some of them- I am a warrior. I come from a warrior race, it is what we do. I am not proud of my actions but what is done is done. I was not myself. I used those missions as an outlet for releasing my pent up rage. That is all."

"That's no excuse." She said, shaking her head at him. "Did I know about all of that? Before, I mean. Did I know about how vicious you can be?"

Vegeta gritted his teeth. "You knew that I had done things that I was not proud of. You accepted that and never pushed for any further explanations or judged me for the things you did know."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I don't believe you. There is no way-"

"You asked me to tell you what had happened between us and I have been forthcoming and open with you," he interrupted her. "You and I shared a bond. A mental link. I knew your thoughts and feelings. And you knew mine. You overlooked my past and accepted me as I am."

"But that's not fair if you never told me about any of it."

"Woman, the things I was involved in are things I do not like to discuss, much less having to relive them and show them to you through the bond." He said angrily. "When we established our bond together, I bore my soul to you. Despite every instinct screaming at me not to, I spat on everything I was brought up to believe. My father and my people. All because I wanted you as my mate. You saw and accepted everything. You knew nearly everything there is to know about me. That there were things I chose not to share were to spare you the burden of knowing and seeing such things."

Bulma sighed, taking in his words for a long moment, not missing the intense way he was looking at her. "But that's not fair. If we are to have a life together, then that's something I should have known about."

"You did." He replied shortly. "I just never showed you. I simply alluded that I had been involved with a lot of things that I was not proud of in my past."

"And I wasn't bothered about it?"

"No, because that's not who I am anymore. I was a soldier. I am a warrior. I was a slave to that deranged lizard. I followed orders. There was no room to refuse a mission." He said bitterly. "Now that he is gone, there will be no more orders for me to follow. I have only to go back home to my father and assume my position as King of Vegeta-sei. I will rule things the way I decide. I will be respected in this galaxy; not feared. With my chosen mate and queen at my side, I will not fail."

"And that's me?"

"Hmmn," he nodded once.

"How does your father and people feel about that?" she asked. "It was a bone of contention, I take it?"

"It was. But they will yield."

"So, you went against everything and everyone just to be with me, correct?"

"Hmmn." He nodded once again.

She was quiet for a long moment, letting the impact of that take full weight. "Why me?"

"Because there is no one else but you."

"There aren't any suitable women on your planet?"

"Not in my opinion," he replied. "I told you this many times, Woman. I will have no one else but you."

"But why me?" she asked in confusion. "Surely someone in your own race would be more suitable. I've seen what you are capable of. I know of the tremendous strength you possess. What use could you possibly have with me? It doesn't make sense."

"Because I met you and I respected you. I respected your intelligence and your strength in character. Your courage to not back down from a challenge. Your capability for compassion and forgiveness." He said to her in an almost detached tone. "Your willingness to help me and accept me despite knowing that I had a past full of destruction and torment and violence. You were not afraid of me. The night I met you, I insulted you and when you replied with an equally insulting remark and I threatened to blast you for your disrespect for my title your reply had been "Well why don't you, then?"

"It was that fearlessness and outright audacity to speak to me in such a manner that I decided that you were not just some random tavern wench. I wanted to know who you were. When I brought you back to my planet and you met my father for the first time, you did not shrink back and snivel when he spoke about you like you were nothing more than a new toy I had acquired. You boldly looked him in the eye as though he were your equal and answered all of his questions." He told her with conviction. "You even had the boldness to tell a female Saiyan who my father wanted me to take as my mate that you had no idea who she was when she announced to you that she was betrothed-"

"Was she?" Bulma interrupted him.

"No." he replied curtly. "She and my father had decided that she was but I had in no way decided that. She is manipulative and could take you out with the flick of her wrist if she had so decided to and I had told you to keep your distance from her. Yet when she disrespected you, you still were unfazed and stood your ground, much to my annoyance at the time.

"You are smart and intelligent. You helped me to achieve my goal by designing the gravity room. When I thought you all but lost to me you did not give up but put yourself in a position that could have been very dangerous to seek me out. I know my reaction at the time to you endangering yourself wasn't the best. I was still withdrawn and angry over what had taken place. When I went after you and followed you to Callisto, you did not turn me away as I had deserved. You welcomed me and accepted the bond again."

Bulma chewed on her bottom lip and fiddled with the comforter on the bed as she listened to all that he had to say.

"You may be weak in physical strength but your inner strength and strength in character more than makes up for it. You are my equal in every way that matters and I would choose no one else but you to be my queen." He finished, realizing he had probably said much more than he should have and hoped that she would not reciprocate in anger or harsh words. It had been extremely difficult for him to admit to everything he had just told her. He would have much rather shown her through the bond the depth of his feelings for her, but since she refused to allow him that, he hoped that his words would be enough, even though he knew he was no good at expressing himself verbally.

"And because I'm beautiful too, right?" she asked lightly, hoping to get him to lighten up. He had been so stoic as he told her all of that.

"You're alright," he shrugged, giving her a smirk.

"So you can list out all of my good qualities and all the reasons you were drawn to me, but you won't tell me you love me." She said looking pointedly at him.

"No. I have not told you that I love you, and I will not." He replied firmly.

"But-"

"Listen. I am not a patient man and I am sorry for that; but I am being patient with you because this is not your fault. Those words are not words that flow freely from my mouth and are reserved only for my mate and I did not even say them to her. Until I can look at you and see some semblance of my mate _before_ all of this, I will not be uttering those words. Do not take my refusal to say it now the wrong way. The woman I knew before," he paused, pinching the bridge of his nose in shame. "My mate deserved to hear those words and I failed her by not telling them to her."

Bulma found herself unable to form a response. The depth of the meaning of what he had just said to her meant more to her than anything he could have ever said to her. She looked at him and felt herself grow warm all over from the intense way he was looking at her. She could tell from the way he was looking at her that this was just as difficult on him as it was for her.

"You didn't fail me, Vegeta."

"I did." He nodded, "When we were talking in the cell on Frieza's ship, you said the first thing you'd thought once you had woken up from whatever it was those goddamned scientists put you through; the first thing you thought of was why I hadn't told you that I loved you. That is what you said, was it not?"

"Yeah, I woke up and I was angry and I didn't know where I was. All I remembered was telling you that I loved you and you not saying it back."

"That's because when you found out what they were going to do, in your panic, you told me five maybe six times that you did. The last thoughts that I got from you were that you loved me and wondering why hadn't I returned the sentiment. Then either they sedated you or you put up a wall blocking me out." He said quietly, unable to look at her.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because it's not something say. I have never said it. I never needed to. You always knew because of the bond." He answered in a withdrawn tone. "It was something that I took for granted. Until you were gone from me, I never realized that you might need to hear it. I think now that if I had said it, then maybe you might not hold as much animosity towards me. I do not know, I have no idea of what it is exactly that they did to you, but perhaps in my not giving that to you, by me not telling you that, I failed you."

"Well, you can make it up to me by telling me now, if it's true." She said hopefully after a long silent pause between them.

Vegeta sat there and studied her intently for a long moment that felt like forever to Bulma. She wondered what he was thinking. Was he going to tell her? She knew that he must love her. She could clearly see that, but she wanted to hear the words. If she could hear the words, it would go such a long way to helping her to trust him.

He frowned and shook his head as he looked back down at his hands. He couldn't; not when this woman had no recollection of anything they'd shared before. It wasn't right.

Bulma's heart sank as she saw him look away from her and shake his head. Why was this so hard for him she wondered? Was it that bad to admitting to caring for someone? He had already not in so many words told her how he'd felt about her. So why could he not tell her that he loved her? He obviously felt regret for not telling her before, so what if she didn't remember things? She was still Bulma.

She decided to be bold and go to him; she swallowed her pride and her fear and crawled over next to him, took his hand and rest her head on his shoulder.

Vegeta turned his head and looked down at her in amazement. Here she was, afraid of him and wanting him to confess his love for her and she still came and sat next to him. That had not been the reaction he had thought he would get from her with his silent, no reply to her request. He looked down at her hand; her fingers loosely laced with his. After looking at it for what felt like forever, he brought her hand up to his mouth and lightly brushed her knuckles with his lips. Maybe there was hope for them? The last few hours they had spent talking had been exhausting for both of them, but he had felt it had been a step in the right direction.

As he sat there in silence with her, he decided that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if he fully admitted his feelings for her. While he still felt that he had failed her before by not telling her and that she deserved to hear them before this happened, if that was what she needed now to give him a chance, then maybe that was what he had to do.

The more the moments passed, the more he thought that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing. It didn't mean he had to go running around the ship like a fool and tell everyone. Maybe he could still keep some of his dignity intact. After all, it was only the two of them here at the moment. No one else had to know. He sighed heavily and looked back down at her.

"Woman?" he said to her. There was no response. "Bulma?" he said again, craning his neck down to look at her only to see that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Surely he hadn't been sitting here contemplating what to do all that long, had he? "Never fails," he mumbled to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing in frustration. What was it with this woman always falling asleep on him? It was oddly reminiscent of the first few nights they had spent together.

Vegeta carefully untwined his fingers with hers in an effort not to wake her and gently laid her back down on her pillow where she had been before. He sat there a moment, contemplating what he should do or where he should go and then decided to stay with her. She had, after all invited him into her bed, so he assumed it was a safe assumption that the invitation still stood.

He lay next to her on his back with his arms crossed, wondering what tomorrow would bring for them? Would things be better? Or would they be worse?

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt her shiver in her sleep. The silly woman had been lying on top of her comforter and was now cold. He couldn't cover her up without waking her up, so he did what he had wanted to do from the first night they had left Frieza's ship; he rolled on his side and ever so carefully wrapped his arms around her center and pulled her close into the familiar embrace they had shared nearly every night they had been together.

He took in her scent and thought he had never smelled something so wonderful, so enticing in his life and wondered how he had managed without her all those weeks he was in space travelling after her. His thoughts wandered to their conversation that evening and realized that not only had he missed not holding her every night but he missed her not telling him that she loved him on a constant basis. He had always brushed her off or ridiculed her for always having to say such weak and emotional sentiments; thinking that since they had the bond that it was pointless.

As he thought on all of that, his thoughts drifted on to the child she was carrying. He subtly moved his hand a little further down her abdomen and sought out the life energy of the child. He couldn't help the smirk playing on his lips as he noted that the child was fine; growing and strong. Relief washed over him in knowing that both Bulma and the child would be safe. Frieza would never have the chance to damage either of them. He swallowed down the rage that threatened to creep up at the memory of what Frieza had purposed. Thankfully he had been able to defeat him easily.

Vegeta sighed in contentment for the first time in what felt like ages as he let sleep claim him.

-0-0-0-

The next morning, Bulma woke up with the feeling of warm arms enveloping her. She opened her eyes and froze once she realized where she was and who she was with. She swallowed heavily in an effort to keep herself from panicking as she tried to remember the events from the previous night.

She remembered waking up and seeing Vegeta sitting on the floor, brooding. She had invited him to share her bed; she remembered that. She remembered talking with him about what had happened; how they'd met and her concerns with him raising their child because of his past. She then remembered him telling her all of the reasons he had chosen her to be his mate and that he wouldn't tell her he loved her because she couldn't remember anything of their life together and how he felt he'd failed her before all of this had happened.

While part of her mind was urging her to get away from him, the other half acknowledged that he was the right thing. She had to trust him; find a way to get over this. Everything they had done to her was a lie. She wasn't sure she would be able to just toss it all to the side just like that, but she wanted to give him a chance. The memory of what he had told her last night made her stomach flutter, even though he hadn't told her he loved her. He hadn't specifically said the words, but in his own way indicated that he indeed did love her. Very much.

That was enough for her. At the moment, anyway.

She tried to turn herself so she could get up, only to have him pull her back closer against his chest. "Where are you going?" he asked sleepily. He could not remember the last time he had slept so well.

"I have to get up," she replied awkwardly.

"Stay," he said to her.

"Why?" she asked as she turned her face back to try and look at him.

"Because I want you to," He said against her cheek and then kissing the side of her mouth.

Bulma contemplated that for a moment and decided that she could stay a little while longer with him. After all, she did feel quite content in his arms. She managed to turn herself around so that she was facing him, his eyes were still closed, and she noticed how relaxed his face looked; his eyebrows weren't drawn together in his usual scowl. It dawned to her how handsome he was.

Carefully, she reached with her hand and touched the side of his face. He opened his eyes to look at her. He didn't say anything to her as she carefully ran her hand down the side of his face experimentally as though trying to remember every feature of his face. She trailed her fingers down his strong jaw line and back up again before smoothing out one of his eyebrows with her thumb and ran her fingers through his thick hair.

He reached up and took her hand from his hair and brought it close to him, not breaking eye contact with her. He then leaned forward and kissed her carefully.

Bulma tensed up for a moment as his lips made contact with hers, but quickly decided to relax and give this a chance. She kissed him back shyly.

Vegeta desperately wanted to deepen the kiss, but waited for her. He was just happy that she was here with him and not pushing him away from her. She opened her mouth and sucked on his lower lip as she kissed him back and he took that as permission to proceed and tested the waters out by brushing his tongue against hers, which she didn't seem to mind.

They laid there together, kissing each other slowly and carefully for a long time before Vegeta carefully rolled her on her back, smirking as he looked down at her and noticed that she was blushing before leaning down and kissing her again.

Bulma let her hands travel up his muscular arms and across his shoulders, and rest on either side of his neck as she kissed him back. She let them linger there for a bit before bringing them down his neck where her fingers caught on a chain hidden underneath his blue flight suit. He stopped kissing her as she tugged on the chain around his neck, freeing it.

She licked her lips as she looked at the ring on the chain curiously. "I remember this," she murmured almost absent mindedly.

Vegeta raised his eyebrows. "What do you remember?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, examining the black onyx ring carefully. "I just remember it."

"Hmmn." He grunted taking her left hand and holding it up to her. She was wearing her ring on her ring finger.

"This was from you?" she asked.

"It was, yes."

"I don't remember where I had gotten it from but when I woke up I had taken it off and when I went back to the lab to get the key for your ki collar I saw it in the same drawer and decided it must have been important that I had been wearing it," she told him. "It's beautiful."

"You had told me once that the people of your culture exchanged vows and rings. At the time, I decided since your planet was no more and you would be following most of my customs it was only fair that we follow something of your people's customs."

She beamed up at him, "Really?"

"Hmmn." He nodded.

"Wow," she whispered.

She was going to comment further when there was a knock on her door and Yamcha poked his head into her room. "Hey, B? Your mom said, Ohh."

"Yamcha!" Bulma objected, sitting up on her elbows and bumping her head with Vegeta's in her panic from the abrupt interruption. "Shit!" she cursed as she laid back down again, holding her forehead from the impact.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Yamcha demanded, looking at Vegeta, who also had his palm on his forehead. "B, was he trying to take advantage of you?"

"No, he was not!" Bulma shouted at him.

Before Yamcha had a chance to reply, Vegeta already had him by the throat and hauled him up against the wall. "I might ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?"

"I don't have to answer to you." Yamcha spat at him. "What were you doing lurking around and preying on her in the first place? Looks pretty creepy to me."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I asked him to stay." Bulma cut in before Vegeta had a chance to reply. "What do you want? Don't you know how to knock? What if I had been getting dressed?"

"I only came to let you know that breakfast was ready," Yamcha answered defensively. "And here I find you in here necking with him!"

"Yamcha, what I do and with who I do it with is none of your concern!" she said, getting out of bed and stomping over towards him.

"Oh, so you're just going to let him take advantage of you all over again? B, you're free of him and his influence!" Yamcha objected. "I thought we were going to give things another chance."

Vegeta turned and glared at Bulma, all the while still keeping Yamcha pinned to the wall.

"I never said that," she replied. "I told you to give me my space while I figured everything out. That was it."

"Yeah, so that we could sort through things and make a new beginning."

"No! I told you I needed to figure things out. You wouldn't stop hovering over me like I was a sick, injured puppy." She corrected him. "You chose to take my explanation as encouragement."

"Oh, so that's it then? You'd choose him over me again? Without even giving me a chance?"

"Yamcha, I had a life with him; he's the father of my child. I think that trumps everything and everyone else, don't you think?" she said angrily.

"Wow." He said, shaking his head and looking back at Vegeta who had been oddly quiet this whole time. "You're really something, aren't you? That didn't take you long now, did it?"

"I warned you to keep your distance, human." Vegeta growled between clenched teeth, just itching to squeeze the life out of Yamcha once and for all. "You are on notice. Need I remind you of our little agreement?"

"Yea, hey Bulma, get this! He threatened me the day he arrived on this ship that he was going to kill me once we get home."

"You what?" she asked in shock, looking at Vegeta with a glare.

"I did," he growled.

"Why? Why would you do something like that?"

"Should I tell her, or would you like to?" Vegeta asked Yamcha with a sinister smirk.

Yamcha scowled at him while trying to loosen Vegeta's grip around his throat.

"Alright, I'll tell her." Vegeta chuckled. "This low life was the one who delivered you to Frieza himself. When you refused to leave with him, he subdued you and drugged you and hand delivered you himself straight to Frieza. Do I need to remind her of how you so kindly kept her chained in a small room with hardly any food or water, even after you learned she was with child, or would you like to fill her in on those details, since I wasn't actually present?"

Bulma looked at Yamcha in shock. "You did that?"

"Bulma, I told you, I was only trying to help." Yamcha said weakly. "I didn't know Frieza was that bad. I told you that."

"Get out." Bulma said shortly to him.

"But Bulma,"

"No. I said get out." She said again, "Vegeta, put him down and let him go."

"I could crush the life out of him," Vegeta said hopefully, tightening his grip around Yamcha's throat, blocking his airways."

"No," she said. "Let him go. I only want him to leave."

"But Woman, what he did; what ne nearly cost both of us-" Vegeta objected, looking at her like she was insane.

"I know!" she said angrily, stomping her foot. "Just, let him go. It's not worth it. He's not worth it."

Vegeta snorted, but let him go, smirking for good measure when he fell to the floor, clutching his neck trying to catch his breath. "You are very fortunate, human." He mumbled.

"He's insane, Bulma!" Yamcha said between coughing.

"Leave me alone," she said turning away from him and going back to bed.

"You just believe him over me just like that?"

"It isn't just You who I have heard that story from, Yamcha!" she shouted at him. "Kakarott told me. Then you told me a dummed down version of it. Then my father told me, and don't you say its Kakarott and Vegeta who turned him against you! My father said you did not deny it when Kakarott told him what had happened in front of you. That's three reliable sources! And Vegeta didn't speak a work of it to me until now."

Yamcha, who had sat up by this time just nodded in response. "Alright. It's true. I did do that. I'm not proud of it, but that's how it went down. There. Are you happy?"

"No!" she said. "Why do you always have to be that selfish? Could you have not just been happy that I had found someone that I loved and someone who could take care of me? Accept that we were done and move on? We were done, Yamcha! Before Earth was destroyed, we were done. And from what I recall, you weren't too bothered by it."

"I screwed up, I know." He said humbly. "Unfortunately, it took our home planet being destroyed for me to see it."

"I don't care." She sighed. "Just get out and leave me alone. You've done enough."

Yamcha sighed and looked down at his feet. "You win, man." He said bitterly to Vegeta as he finally got up. "Bulma, I'm sorry."

"Fine, you're sorry. Just like you're always sorry whenever you get caught in one of your screw ups. Now leave me alone! Don't talk to me, I need to get my life back in order."

Yamcha nodded and shot Vegeta a dirty look before closing the door and leaving.


	33. Chapter 33

_****Disclaimer:** **_ I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement _ **.**_

_**CHAPTER 33** _

_**One week later…** _

It had been a week since the incident with Yamcha. One week since Bulma had invited Vegeta to share a bed with her to try and get to know Vegeta better in an attempt to try and salvage their relationship. The two of them spent a lot of time alone together in her room. Talking mostly. Trying to get to know one another all over again. For the most part it was going well, but to Vegeta's ever-growing frustration, Bulma still was nowhere near closer to wanting to re-establish the bond they'd had before.

She was completely adamant against it, despite her slow-growing feelings of desire beginning to blossom for the handsome Saiyan Prince. It wasn't that she didn't want him around, she was slowly beginning to trust him and want him; she could see that his intentions where she was concerned were sincere, but she just did not want to commit to having her mind and soul being such an open book to someone she still felt she barely knew. Not only had she been having flashbacks here and there of their former life together and while that had been making things easier on her with regards to the progress she and Vegeta were making, she also was having flashbacks of her time on Frieza's ship with Dr. Gero.

These flashbacks were usually accompanied by horrible migraines, nausea and severe mood swings, something which she wasn't sure if they were due to whatever they had done to her or because of her pregnancy; possibly both. She was also having flashbacks and nightmares of the horrific things they had shown her of the things Vegeta had possibly been involved with.

Bulma had consulted her father about it and his guess had been that they had maybe done something intentional to her to feel that way should she allow her mind to go against the way they had conditioned her to think; reason being, that every time she thought of Vegeta or tried to rationalize and fight against the thoughts she was having, they had placed a trigger to discourage her from that train of thought and that would bring on the nightmares, migraines and nausea. Dr. Briefs said it was a common practice in situations where someone was brainwashed and then reprogrammed to be experiencing the symptoms she seemed to be having, however he was at a loss for a solution. For now, she just had to tough it out and work through overcoming it on her own.

She awoke with a start in the early hours of the morning, completely unaware of her surroundings and in a complete and total panic.

Vegeta, now becoming used to her frequent night terrors, pulled her close in an attempt to calm her however this time it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"Get away from me!" she said angrily with clenched teeth, shaking like a leaf while struggling against his hold.

"Woman, it is fine!" he said, sleepily. "You are safe now."

"Not with you, I'm not!" she raged at him, still trying to wriggle herself away from him.

"Enough," he growled at her irritably, not loosening his hold on her.

She paused a moment, taking in her surroundings before relaxing a little and allowing him to draw her into his comforting embrace. As much as she hated to admit it, she always felt safe when he held her close like he was now. Even when she felt ill at ease and distrustful of him and his intentions, a part of her felt like she belonged there.

"I'm sorry," she whispered after a long time as she hid her face in her hand, attempting to stifle a sob. When would this end? She felt the tip of his nose and his lips brush along her jaw line and up just under her right ear. He never said much in these moments, was always just there like a constant presence. He would hold her silently until she fell asleep again.

As he lay there holding her, he frowned deeply as she took a few deep breaths in both an attempt to calm herself down and hide the fact that she was crying. After a few minutes, not knowing what else to do, he carefully turned her over so that she was facing him. Her left hand still covering the majority of her face, her mouth turned down into a frown. He removed her hand from her face, gently threading his fingers with hers and held it close as he looked at her intently.

"Vegeta, just leave me be," she pleaded weakly, wiping the tears from her eyes with her other hand.

The sight of her looking so sad and crushed frightened him to his core. He couldn't help but think the same thought he had thought several times over the past week he had been dealing with this with her: This woman was broken. His mate was broken and he did not know how to fix her or make any of this better. Not without repairing the bond.

"Tell me," he said to her. "Tell me what you dreamt."

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because," she started, taking a deep breath, trying not to start sobbing again. "Because I can't talk about it."

"Why not?" he asked, trying to keep his tone gentle, even though he was becoming exceedingly annoyed by the minute with her. "Did it have something to do with me?"

She nodded and covered her mouth again as more tears began to flow.

"Then why not tell me about it?" he pressed.

"Because I don't want to know," she said between sobs. "I don't want to know if that nightmare was real or something else they've fabricated."

Vegeta simply nodded, unsure if he should push for her to tell him or not. If it was something real, how could he deny it? What if it caused a major setback for her? As it was, things were so far from normal between them, he didn't think he could handle another setback. She was finally comfortable enough around him that she didn't flinch or tremble in fear when he touched her.

Not knowing what else to do, he comforted her the only way he knew how: He kissed her. He kissed her on her cheek, where it was still damp from her tears. He kissed her along her jaw and finally her lips. He kissed her carefully and slowly, waiting and hoping for her to respond. Finally, she did.

She kissed him back slowly, sighing as he welcomed her response and deepened the kiss. She didn't know why, but she absolutely loved kissing him. And she loved it when he kissed her. It was as though everything else stopped and nothing else mattered. He literally took her breath away and it both surprised her and frightened her. It surprised her because he was so harsh. The man she had seen in battle while fighting Frieza and the man who was in her bed right now kissing her so intently, were two very different men. If she weren't here experiencing it for herself, she would have never believed it. It was wonderful and she felt giddy every time she dwelled on the brief but frequent make out sessions they'd been having over the last few days. But it frightened her because she didn't feel ready to take things further with him. So far he had been very respectful of that. He never pushed her for anything more. But since they'd had a past together that obviously included that type of intimacy, she did not want to tease him and keep putting him off. She knew that wasn't fair. So far the man's level of self-control astounded her, but he was still a man, she reasoned. How long would he be okay with just this?

She reached for him, running her fingers through his thick hair with her free hand as she continued to kiss him and let him erase the memory of the horrific dream she'd just had. It couldn't have been real; she told herself. This man could not have done the things she'd dreamt up. Her thoughts were cut short as he shifted somewhat, settling himself between her legs as he still kissed her within an inch of her life. He hadn't done anything like this so far when they'd kissed. She decided in that moment that it was alright. She craved the closeness and the secure feeling that came with it.

Vegeta continued to kiss her, however was mindful of not taking things too far with her. So far she hadn't seemed to mind what he was doing. His only thought moments ago had been to get her to stop crying. He couldn't stand it when she cried. Now, here they were kissing each other deeply and he was only hoping she would not push him away. He knew he should probably back off, but he didn't want to. He wanted to lose himself with her. It had felt like it had been so long since their union had been full and complete.

He broke his lips away from her and looked down at her; a frown across his handsome features as he studied her intently.

"What?" she asked, feeling her face grow warm at the intense way he was looking at her. She wasn't sure if it was a good look or a bad look, but it was making her uncomfortable.

He didn't reply for a long moment as he continued to look at her and then shook his head. "I am sorry,"

"For what?" she asked with a confused frown. "You didn't do anything. I'm the one who woke you up. I'm the one who's messed up and can't remember anything."

"I am sorry this happened to you." He said, still looking down at her.

"It's not your fault. I know that now."

He shook his head at her. "I should have never let you out of my sight."

"Well, that's not really fair." She said with a slight frown. "For you, I mean. I'm sure there's stuff you like to go and do that doesn't include me."

He nodded. "I train."

"Right. You have to have your own space every now and again and your own activities. That's only normal. You shouldn't feel you have to watch me every waking moment of the day. What a burden!"

"You could choose to look at it that way, but if I had been paying attention, none of this would have happened."

"Alright, but then Frieza would still be lurking around. You would have had to face him some time; and I still wouldn't have my parents back," she said. "I am sorry I can't remember anything but thank you for coming after me and getting me and my family off of that ship." She finished, reaching up for him while untangling her other hand from his and wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him down on top of her and burying her face into the side of his neck. He let her pull him down, wrapping his arms around her small frame, holding her close.

He didn't move or say anything for a long moment, but inhaled her scent deeply. That's when he caught it; it wasn't as strong as it usually had been when they were together in close proximity, but it was there. The very faint scent of her arousal. It was unmistakable.

He looked at her again and couldn't help the smirk threatening to take hold over his neutral features.

"What?" she asked with a confused frown.

Vegeta didn't say anything, but leaned down and began to kiss her again. He kissed her hungrily and longingly; not wanting to frighten her, but wanting to convey to her how much he wanted her and needed her. After a few minutes, when she hadn't pushed him away from her, he allowed his hand to wander down her side and slid his fingers up just a bit, grazing her abdomen. Her breath hitched just a bit at the feeling of his fingers lightly brushing the bare flesh of her waist. His hand did not continue to travel upwards, but he let it remain there unobtrusively.

She kissed him back, arching herself against him, all the while wondering in the back of her mind where this was going. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this. She wanted it, but wasn't sure she wanted what would go along with it: Reinstating the bond. As she was trying to decide what she should do, he broke off their kiss.

She looked at him curiously for a moment, waiting for him to say something when he leaned down, kissed her forehead and shifted himself off of her. "Go back to sleep." He said, pulling her close to him again and setting in.

Bulma couldn't help but frown to herself, trying to figure out what just had happened? Why had he stopped? Up until a moment ago, he had been kissing her with an intensity that made her grow warm all over and made her head spin. He had stopped so abruptly, she wondered if it had actually happened or had she just imagined it? She sighed in frustration and it didn't take long before she fell asleep again.

Though she had been keeping up a mental wall since they had made it back to the ship, Vegeta was still able to pick up on the odd thought of hers here and there; usually when she was distracted. As he had been kissing her, he'd been able to pick up on her indecision. He knew a part of her wanted him; that much was obvious. But he wanted her to fully want him. He wanted her to want him like she used to. He wanted her to want him and to need him the way he wanted and needed her.

For tonight, he decided to quit while he was ahead. He knew she physically wanted him, and that made him very happy. He could deal with just knowing that at the moment. It was progress! So, he decided rather than make her feel like he was pushing himself on her for more than she was ready for, he decided to quit before she objected. Quit while she was still wanting more. He knew it was playing dirty, but he was slowly becoming more and more impatient with this whole scenario.

Her rejecting the bond was slowly beginning to wear on him. He felt he was managing alright in trying to put off the depression that was beginning to set in, but it was becoming a losing battle. If she didn't change her mind soon, he wasn't sure what he would do. He may have no choice but to sever the rest of it completely. While he did not want to resort to that, he knew that if she didn't relent on this he could not live his life partially bonded to a mate who did not want to be bonded to him. If she did not want to be bonded to him, he would leave. She would have to give him either everything or nothing. He would not accept half measures.

It would pain him to his very core to have to do that; even the thought of having to do that caused him distress. But it was something he had to consider just in case she decided to never restore their bond. He would not wallow around pathetically in a state of constant depression for the rest of his life. He felt a small twinge of guilt as he thought back on all those months they had been separated and he had closed himself off from her. She had told him how agonizing and painful that had been on her. He hadn't fully understood that until now in these past few weeks on the ship as she continued to reject the bond. It _did_ hurt. While he supposed he somewhat deserved to know what he had really put her through and experience the feeling for himself, he would only allow it for so long before he decided to let it all go. If she was that set against him even though she now knew a good portion of their history and that he would do anything to keep her safe; if she still decided to turn her back on all of that, he would let her go.

With those unsettling thoughts in mind, he eventually fell back asleep.

-0-0-0-

The next day, he got up early and went to go and relieve Kakarott from flying the ship for a few hours. He needed to think and gather his thoughts in order and decide what to do about Bulma without her around to distract him. He could not stop thinking about how things were progressing between them.

Now that he knew she wanted him, he could not help but want to finish what they had started last night. What was holding her back? She was not afraid of him. She had made tremendous progress in that regard. She didn't even seem to hate him any more either. She always greeted him and never pushed him away or flinched at his touch when he went to kiss her or hold her. That was all positive. So then, what was the problem?

The bond could not be such a horrible thought to her, could it? She had not balked at it when he told her about it initially when discussing Saiyan rituals. So what was the problem? It was really starting to pick at him that she kept him completely closed off from her.

He began to think back on how things had been before with them. Things had come together so differently. It had only taken her a few days when they had first met. Not even that. The night he'd brought her back with him, they'd nearly been intimate. Twice. After just over a week he had very nearly lost himself and would have taken her as his mate then had she not objected in surprise that he'd nipped her a little bit more enthusiastically in his need for her by mistake. A week and a half after that, he'd taken her as his mate. By this time last time, they had been mated and bonded and separated.

He had to keep reminding himself that things weren't as simple as that this time. Back then, she hadn't known anything about him except for what he'd chosen to fill her in on. He had done it at his own pace and she had accepted him despite his violent past and many flaws. This time, he had the work of a mad scientist filling her head with all sorts of hateful crap working against him. Before this, she hadn't been afraid of him and hadn't minded when he'd taken the lead in their relationship. In this case, he was afraid to take the lead, for fear of scaring her away; he had no clue how to play this and it was beginning to wear on him. Sure she needed time and patience, but at the same time, he needed her. He wanted her. He needed their bond. The fact that she was rejecting it as strongly as she was, was beginning to affect him negatively.

He growled to himself in annoyance as he tried to dismiss everything and think about something else entirely but found he could not. This was the exact reason he had never had an interest in having a mate to begin with! He hated this feeling of being connected to her now that she was rejecting him. He hated that it was affecting him to the point where he could not think on anything else but her and this impossible situation they were in. Part of him wanted to do nothing more than go back to her room and force her to see reason. Then what would she do? She would have to remember things as they were and accept him again.

What if that backfired though?

What if just holding her down and ravaging her until she was exhausted and then biting her, forcing the bond open only undid the progress they'd made? Then he would be worse off than he was now. Then he would be just as bad as what they had told her he was and she would most likely never be willing to give him another chance. He didn't really want to resort to that anyway; that was how badly this whole thing was beginning to affect him- he was beginning to have horrible thoughts like that.

The thought popped into his mind that maybe he could still share physical intimacy with her since she seemed alright with that, but he decided against it. Why should he be willing to give her everything if she did not want to return it?

Vegeta sighed heavily in aggravation and ran his hand down his face, willing himself to stop acting like a weak fool and forget about all of this for now. He focused on the progress they had made and decided to give her till the time they landed on Callisto to make her decision.

In the meantime, he would continue to spend his nights with her but would refrain from any physical advances towards her unless she made an advance towards him. That was what he would do.

Determined to keep his resolve of not initiating any physical contact with her turned out to be a lot harder and trying on his self-control than he had initially thought. He noticed her somewhat disappointed demeanor that he would simply head to bed and not reach out to her. He would still talk and converse with her cordially and answer any questions she still had about their past life together, but that too was beginning to wear on him; he was growing tired of it. He wanted to be patient with her, but it was so difficult. Especially with her in the same room as him, her scent constantly assaulting him; reminding him that she was here, right in front of him, but still not wanting to trust him enough to let him repair their union. It was slowly becoming more than he could tolerate. One more week of this, he decided and he would lose his mind in this ridiculous limbo she seemed have placed him in, this whatever this was they had going on here. She did not mind sharing his company and her bed with him and did not mind when he touched her, comforted her or bestowed his physical affections upon her. But that was all she would allow. Any time he had tried to reach out to her through the bond, she closed her mind off to him.

He was slowly beginning to resent her for it.

So he sighed deeply and entered her room for yet another confusing and frustrating evening with her. She was sitting on her bed, reading a book. Vegeta had thrown together a ton of things when he had been waiting for the ship to be available to them. He knew she loved to read, so he had thrown in a few books for her.

"Hey," she greeted, not taking her eyes off the book she was reading, her knees up, and the book resting in between them.

"Hmmn," he replied absently, pulling off his shirt and tossing it to the side.

Bulma couldn't help but sneak an appreciative peek at him from behind her book. She had been having a hard time staying away from him. He was really starting to grow on her and she was beginning to look forward to the evenings when he would come to bed and they would talk into the wee hours of the night between increasingly intense make out sessions. It was like she was becoming addicted to him.

She went back to her book as he approached her and sat down next to her on the bed, not saying anything to her. She continued to read for a few more moments before putting her book down and looking at him. He looked lost.

"You alright?" she asked, looking at him oddly. Usually he was the one to instigate any physical contact. He was always so careful, clearly not wanting to make her uncomfortable. Though she was well past that now; she almost craved his touch. Never had anyone made her feel the way he did and she was beginning to want more from him, but was afraid to cross that line. She still did not want to fix the bond. She wondered if he knew that, because the last few nights he had not instigated anything. They had talked and visited, but he would not go out of his way to touch her.

When he didn't respond, she poked him on his shoulder. "Hey," she tried again before boldly deciding to straddle his hips and sit in his lap. She may not feel ready to fix the bond just yet, but she didn't mind the physical contact with him. The way he touched her was always so careful but so deliberate. She couldn't help but wonder what she was missing out on by not allowing him to take things further with her. Every time he backed off, the more curious she seemed to become about that aspect of their former relationship and she wondered if he was just as affected by her as she was by him.

Vegeta looked at her appreciatively and pulled her closer to him, placing one hand on the small of her back and the other he allowed to wander down and explore her hip and leg. He looked at her; she was so beautiful. She looked back at him and smiled. He removed his hand from her hip and ran his fingers gently through her hair, marveling at the soft texture of it and noting how quickly it was growing again.

Bulma looked back at him and saw an intensity that made her feel warm all over. She leaned forward, hugging him tightly and rested her head on his shoulder, burying her face in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes. She loved the feeling of having him close to her; she wished she could just stay here with him in this exact moment and not worry about anything else; their past or future or making another bond. This moment was absolutely perfect, she didn't want anything to ruin it. She relaxed as she felt Vegeta's hands slip under her top and caress the sides of her bare flesh. She shivered at his touch and sighed in contentment as his hands continued to slowly travel up and then back down her sides in a soothing motion.

Vegeta took in her scent and closed his eyes and enjoyed the close proximity. He continued to caress her gently; he could hear and feel her heart beating a mile a minute and wondered why? He wanted to say something to her, he wanted to tell her how much he needed for them to restore their bond but the words wouldn't come. So, instead, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him; squeezing her gently and opened his eyes, turning his head to look down at her.

She felt her face grow warm and wasn't sure what to say to him so she kissed him lightly on his lips and then tried to get up off his lap before things escalated too much further but he held her firmly in place. She looked at him in confusion.

"Woman," he started but she cut him off, kissing him on the lips again, not wanting him to ruin the moment by starting a serious conversation. He returned her kiss immediately and pulled her closer to him, his hands settling on her hips and pushing them into the back of her shorts and pulling her hips tightly against his. She smiled against his mouth and ran her fingers up through his hair, not breaking her lips away from his.

Vegeta continued to kiss her back and held her closely against him for another few moments before moving one arm around her waist and moved them so that she was lying on her back and he was on top of her. This was the first she had boldly instigated any physical contact between them. He had quit doing so after the other night in hopes that she would come to him and finally want to fix things with them since she was finally comfortable with him.

He moved his hand down her side and along her leg, encouraging her to hook it around his hip as he still continued to kiss her deeply and slowly ground his hips into her center, subtly trying to convey his intentions to her. It was time to finally re-strengthen their union once again. He didn't see anything holding them back now, not now that she was no longer fearful of him.

She gasped at his bold action as she felt the evidence of his arousal against the inside of her thigh and ground her hips back against his. She wanted him. After over a week of this, she didn't want to wait anymore.

As she gasped for air, his mouth travelled up along her jaw line and down her neck, he alternated kissing and nipping her. He finally made it back down to the base of her neck, where he had bitten her before; he licked and sucked on the now marred skin where Frieza had burned off the evidence of their initial bond.

The feeling of his lips and mouth and teeth grazing her neck sent a weave of panic through her and brought her out of her lust like a cold bucket of water. "Vegeta," she moaned as he continued to kiss her neck.

"Hmmn?"

"Vegeta, I want,"

"What do you want?"

"I-I want," it was so hard to think at the moment. "I think we should stop." She finally said.

He abruptly quit kissing her and looked down at her. "You think we should stop or you want me to continue?"

"Both?" she answered. "I'm sorry. Just can't do this. I want to, I do. But I just can't." she felt her heart nearly break as she caught the flash of disappointment in his eyes; though it was quickly replaced by his usual impassive demeanor. It had been so brief, she wasn't even sure she had even seen it.

Vegeta didn't say anything. He only nodded once and moved away from her. He laid there next to her for a moment before getting up and out of her bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"I will find someplace else to sleep." He answered, pulling his shirt back on.

"But why? You can stay here. Please don't go." She objected.

"Why shouldn't I go?" he asked; his tone much harsher than he had meant it to be.

"Because I don't want you to go," she said. "I don't mind if you stay."

"It is very clear I do not belong here."

She exhaled harshly as she sat up to confront him. "Why? Because I don't want you to fuck me just yet?"

Vegeta shook his head at her and chuckled darkly. "Woman, if all I wanted from you was a good fuck, it would have happened weeks ago when we first boarded this ship."

Bulma laughed and shook her head at him, "Right. This isn't about that at all."

"It isn't."

"Then what's the problem?"

"We need to repair the bond."

"But I don't want that."

"Well, I _need_ that." He said firmly. "I can wait for the rest, but I need you to accept the bond again."

"Right, and in order to bond we have to be intimate. Isn't that how it works?" she asked bitterly. "Believe me, I'm more than sexually frustrated right now. It's more than confusing to me because I've never felt that need before for anyone, not even Yamcha in all that time we were together and a huge part of me wants to just cave and give into that; I love being close to you and I love it when you touch me and kiss me. I want to throw caution to the wind and just do it already, but if that means doing the bond again, then I can't. It's not fair to you since it's not something I want again and it's not fair to me to be put back into that."

"Woman, you don't even remember the bond." He sighed in annoyance. "How can you just shut your mind off to it and refuse to open it again when you cannot even remember it? No, we do not have to be intimate for it to work. All you need to do is open your mind to it and accept it. Being intimate will help to strengthen it again, but I think we can begin repairing it if you would simply put some effort into it yourself."

"I'm not ready." She said. "I don't know if I ever will be."

He nodded. "Yet it would seem you'd be alright with it then if all I wanted to do was screw you with no strings attached."

"No," she said with a frown.

"Yes," he countered. "You more or less just admitted that if it weren't for the risk in building the bond, you would be open to it."

"Okay, so?" She huffed.

"So let me turn this scenario around then so that I understand what it is you are trying to tell me, You see me as good enough to fuck and fool around with but not good enough to form a permanent bond and commitment with? Explain; because I am at a loss to understand what to do anymore where you are concerned." He explained angrily. "I have been patient and have given you your space and have been respectful of your ordeal, yet you make no effort on your part to remedy our situation or even meet me half way there."

"I can't! I don't know! It has nothing to do with you not being good enough. In case you haven't noticed, I am very attracted to you and I kinda have a crush on you. Alright? Don't let it go to your head. You're kind of cute." She said, rolling her eyes, trying to diffuse the argument before it got out further of hand. It was clear that neither one of them was going to win this one; nor did she have an answer for him any clearer than that. She wanted him but not the bond.

"Woman, I am an Elite Saiyan warrior of Royal blood. I can assure you, I am absolutely not kind of cute." Growled irritably, unsure to take her words as a complimentary or insulting. "Even if such was the case, I will not take you in that way unless you agree to reopen the bond. It is pointless otherwise."

"Why? I know you want me." She said. "You can barely keep your hands off of me when we're alone not to mention I've felt the obvious evidence of it when you're making out with me. Yea, I'm not that naïve."

He looked at her with a scowl that quite literally sent a wave of fear chill down her spine. "Of course want you," he admitted so quietly she almost didn't hear him. "But it is more than that. What we had before goes beyond just a physical need for one another. By forging the bond that we did, it made us need one another; mind, body and soul. It is not something either of us can just walk away from. I never wanted a mate for that exact reason. It is nothing but a distraction and opens up a huge weakness for a perfect warrior such as myself.

"You rejecting the bond is damaging to me; much in the same way it was damaging to you when I shut you out when we were separated. There is enough of it there that it is beginning to affect me in a very negative way." he said in a detached tone, berating himself for having to admit that to her. "If you are to be with me, I require a whole and complete union with you."

Bulma frowned. She knew the bond was a serious thing, that's why she was so hesitant to rebuild it. She could remember what it had felt like when he'd blocked her out. It had been horrible. Now, she was putting him through that very same thing. She felt guilty, but not enough to want to change it at this moment. "I'm sorry, but I'm not ready."

"But you feel ready and comfortable enough to let me have your body?"

She shrugged, "I enjoy your company. I love the way you touch me, the way you kiss me. I do want to explore further intimacy with you, I really do. Don't think that I have just been leading you on these past few weeks, it's not like that."

"Then what is it like?"

"I want you around; I want a relationship with you, but I'm not ready for a bond with you." She said honestly. "Maybe one day, but not right now."

"That is not good enough." He said as he shook his head at her, giving her a pained expression and left her room.

Bulma curled herself up in a ball and let herself cry. How had everything gone so wrong so fast? The evening had started out nearly perfectly. She wiped the tears from her eyes and began to think about what had just happened. Why was this such a difficult thing for him to understand?

-0-0-0-

The next morning, Bulma woke up feeling emotionally drained and exhausted. She had barely slept. When she had slept, she was greeted by the usual nightmares that had been present in her dreams since she had left Frieza's ship. Visions of Vegeta gleefully destroying young families and planets single headedly. Nightmares if him killing her child once he or she was born. Nightmares of him forcing herself on her repeatedly for hours on end as way of punishment for her not wanting to accept the bond again.

That one was new.

In one such dream, as he had his way with her he had not only broken her body by his sheer strength but had ripped open her throat when he had gone to bite her again to reopen the bond. He had laughed bitterly at her as he continued to roughly thrust into her as she bled out. She had known that one was completely out to lunch, but it still disturbed her none the less. In the moments after she had woken up she had wished more than anything that he had been there beside her to comfort her and chase the memory of it away with his presence. And his lips...

Instead of dwelling further on her horrific nightmares, she decided to get up for the day. She took a shower and changed into a loose pair of sweatpants and top that just barely covered her now small bump beginning to appear. Vegeta had thrown together a bunch of clothes; mostly comfortable ensembles for her to wear, but it was becoming apparent that by the time they reached their destination she would need to go shopping for either maternity wear or larger clothes. Never had she ever thought she would be dealing with this at her age. As she examined herself, she was relieved that no stretch marks had appeared yet; though she wasn't that far along. She was only just showing in the last few weeks since they had boarded the ship.

Bulma frowned. How far along was she?

She had no clue. She tried to do the math; four weeks back to Callisto from Frieza's ship. So she assumed four weeks to Frieza's ship when Yamcha abducted her. So that was eight weeks. Plus another two or three that she was actually there, she had no idea how long she had been there for. That left for her to find out how far had she been along when Yamcha had taken her? She shook her head. It was giving her a headache. She decided on 15 or 16 weeks. That had to be a decent estimate she figured. Four months? Five at the most. She wasn't sick anymore. So she decided on that. She decided she could also ask Chi-Chi when she returned home. She would know. She couldn't wait to see her friend!

Bulma exited the small bathroom and made her way to the kitchen for some breakfast. Thankfully the only people there were her parents.

"Oh my, you look exhausted!" her mother exclaimed. "Did that handsome prince of yours keep you up all night?" She asked with a wink.

"No, mom!" she whined irritably. "God! Is that all you can think of?"

"Well you two have spent so much time together since we've boarded this ship, sweetie!" her mother replied. "I know you have no memory of him and I think it's so romantic that the two of you are trying so hard to rekindle your relationship."

Bulma couldn't hold back the tears threatening to fall. "Mom, just don't,"

"What's the matter, sweetie?" her mother asked coming around to her.

"Nothing," she replied, trying to pull herself together. "It's just not that simple, okay?"

"Oh, would you like to talk about it over breakfast?" she asked.

"No," Bulma sighed. "Just give me a cup of coffee, I'm going back to bed." She said as she grabbed a cup and poured herself a cup of black coffee and left the small lunch room to retreat back to her bedroom.

On her way there, she saw Vegeta who was obviously on his way to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

"Hey," she greeted him.

"Hmmn,"

"Did you sleep alright?" she asked, though felt it was a stupid question to ask him.

"I didn't sleep." he replied.

"Oh," was all she said.

He looked at her a moment, taking in her worn appearance. "I take it you slept very little?"

"I had more nightmares." She confessed. "Some of them were really bad last night."

He nodded but didn't comment.

"I missed that you weren't there." She muttered quietly.

"Right, because my sole purpose in life is to comfort and coddle you," he said harshly.

"Don't be that way," she said. "I want you around. Your presence helps, you know."

"Woman, I have done everything that I can think of to help you through this but the one thing you continually reject." He replied almost bitterly. "Fixing the bond will go a long way towards fixing you. I not only want to fix it for my satisfaction and sanity, but for yours as well."

"I know," she nodded. "I'm sorry. I can't though."

Vegeta shook his head in annoyance, "Then you can enjoy sleeping alone and dealing with it yourself." Was all he said as he continued to make his way to the kitchen.

"You're such an asshole!" she called back at him. "Maybe they were right about you!"

Vegeta turned around to look at her and shrugged. "Maybe they were. You'll never find out for yourself I guess if you won't even put forth the effort." He taunted and disappeared into the kitchen.

Bulma frowned at the hallway and went into her room. She just wanted to be left alone. She couldn't believe was a jerk he was being about this! Why couldn't he just give her a little more time? Was that such a difficult and unreasonable thing for her to expect? She didn't think so.

As she sat there dwelling on her predicament, her mother knocked at the door and poked her head in. "Sweetie? It's me, can I come in?"

"Mom, I just want to be left alone,"

"I don't think so, dear. I think you need to tell me what's been going on between you and that man of yours. It did not escape my notice that he's in just as fowl a mood this morning as you are." Bunny said knowingly. "He didn't even want any of the breakfast pastries I managed to throw together. If there's anything I've learned these past few week from those two handsome young men that the way to their hearts it through their stomachs."

Bulma groaned irritably. She really wasn't in the mood for her mother's mindless chatter. This was a situation she knew absolutely nothing about. Though she couldn't help but wish that this scenario between her and Vegeta could be remedied by simply making him a delicious meal.

"Come on, tell me what's wrong."

"Fine, but you won't be able to help because it's not a normal situation." She sighed knowing that her mother would not leave until she told her what was happening. She told her about how they had been visiting lots and he had filled her in on everything but that he wanted to put everything between them back to the way it was before. She briefly explained the bond, unable to go too in depth into it since there wasn't much more that she knew other than it was emotional and mental and very permanent and she wasn't ready to commit to that with Vegeta just yet and that he was taking it very personally.

Bunny sat there silent a few moments before sighing heavily, "Well I think it is truly honorable and romantic that he won't pursue you any further until you want to fix this bond thing. Poor boy! How sad and dejected he must feel. Shame on you for doing such a thing to that poor boy!" she scolded her daughter.

"Mom! You have no idea what it is that I'd be committing myself to!"

"That may be true, but you did before and things were good between you both until that horrible Lord Frieza and Dr. Gero got a hold of you. What are you so afraid of, dear? You have a wonderful young man who wants to be with you, not to mention he's the most handsome young man I've ever laid eyes on, but don't tell your father I said that." Bunny giggled absentmindedly. "You need to let go of whatever this is holding you back or you'll lose him. Trust me, a man like that won't just sit and wait around forever. He has his pride too."

"I may have already lost him, mom."

"Nah, I don't think so." Bunny replied, waving her hand dismissively. "You just hurt his feelings, not that I could blame him for being hurt! Just think about it for a few days, he'll come around and when he does, don't push him away. Try to fix this. If you don't, I have a bad feeling you'll regret it. Wonderful men like him and your father don't come along very often. And between you and me, I love Yamcha like he were my own son, but I think this Prince Vegeta will make you so much happier."

"Mom, he's nothing like dad and you only just met him. You don't even really know him to be able to make a judgement like that." Bulma sighed, rolling her eyes at her.

"That may be, but I have a sixth sense about these things. Not to mention I haven't missed the way he looks at you-"

"Mom, he can't even tell me he loves me."

"And some men are just like that, dear. They'll never say it. But put the pieces together, dear. If that boy didn't love you would he have traveled weeks in space to come get you? Would he have made the effort to find your father and me if he didn't truly care deeply for you? The actions speak louder than words ever could. Why can't you see that?"

"It's not that I don't see it, mom," she said. "It's just that I'm not ready for such a serious commitment. Why can't anyone get that?"

"Because you're only lying to yourself, dear." Her mother said. "How many times did you take Yamcha back and give him yet another chance despite his track record of hurting you with his inability to be faithful?"

Bulma shot her mother a dirty look in response.

"Yes, I am well aware of that whole scenario. I am not that oblivious. My point is, you gave him hundreds of chances and he never once proved to be worthy of you. Here is a young man who has done everything to prove himself to you and you refuse to give him a single chance. My advice to you-"

"Mom, that's just it! If I give him a chance and we restore this bond and things don't work out, then I'm stuck with him in my head for the rest of my life and he's stuck with me! It's ridiculous!"

"You didn't seem to think it ridiculous some time ago." Her mother argued back. "Anyway, my advice to you is to get yourself past this before you do irreparable damage. Fix things with him and move on. You'll of course do what you want, which is always how you've been but that is my opinion, dear."

Bulma simply nodded at her mother.

"One last thing, dear. Is it such a bad thing to you that you don't want to risk it? If you just let him go, you'll always wonder what if? That's all I have to say on the matter. The choice is yours and yours alone." Bunny finished as she walked out of her room, leaving Bulma there in her thoughts.

The rest of the trip went by without any incident or any progress between Bulma and Vegeta. He avoided her every chance he could and she refused to seek him out in order to try and make things better.

She wanted him to come to her and he wanted her to come to him. It was a stalemate between the two most stubborn individuals in the universe.

Kakarott and Bulma's parents simply shook their heads at the stubborn couple and left them both alone in hopes that they would both cave in and rectify this on their own. Perhaps once they got off the ship things would be better? The ship was cramped and dark and everyone was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic and stir crazy as the days and weeks dragged on.

Thankfully they landed the ship a few days later on Callisto.

"Oh, my! Isn't it gorgeous here?" Bunny exclaimed as they all exited the ship.

Yamcha quickly scampered off, leaving everyone on their own. He didn't want another confrontation with Vegeta or remind him that his death threat was to be carried out now that they had landed. He had taken great pains to avoid the Saiyan the rest of their journey home. He was hoping that Vegeta would just let this go and forget about him.

"Welcome to planet Callisto." Kakarott said cheerfully. "Our home isn't too far away from here. Just follow me." Bulma's parents followed Kakarott eagerly down the dirt path, ready to finally settle in somewhere.

Bulma hung back a bit, waiting for Vegeta to exit the ship. He seemed to be hanging back for some reason. He hadn't spoken to her since the morning after their argument and she desperately wanted to talk to him but didn't know what to say to him.

Things were just moving too fast for her. That was what she needed to tell him; that she wasn't completely rejecting him. She just wanted more time; more time to think things through, more time to get to know him better and be sure she wasn't making a huge mistake. The way she looked at it, if he really and truly did love her, he would understand and allow her that.

She waited a few minutes longer, unable to see her parents or Kakarott any longer. She didn't know how she knew, but she remembered where the house was. It was about a ten minute walk from here. So she wasn't worried about losing her way. She could even remember what the house looked like.

Just as she was about to give up on Vegeta exiting the ship sometime today, he emerged.

"Hey," She greeted him cautiously.

He made brief eye contact with her, eyeing her warily but did not reply. He stood there a long moment looking at her with an expression she could not read. She wasn't sure if it was angry or upset? He looked as though he were fighting an inner battle with himself and decided that it looked more like the look of indecision than anything else. He finally walked off the ship and walked past her without so much of a word or another glance.

"So?" she finally said to him, trying to keep up with the brisk pace he had set.

"What?" he answered, not turning to look at her.

"What's happening with us?"

"Us?" he repeated, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Yea, us." She repeated.

"Do you want to work on the bond?" he asked.

"Vegeta, I told you," she sighed. "I'm not ready for that. I can't-"

"Then there is no Us." He said sharply.

"Why not?" she asked, now trying to keep her emotions in check. "I don't understand! You say you're sorry for what happened to me and how it's not my fault-"

"It is not your fault and I am sorry for what happened; but your refusal to work on anything further between us makes it impossible for me to stick around."

"So what then?" she asked. "You're just going to leave?"

"I will be leaving, yes." He nodded. "I will leave here as soon as the ship is refueled and I will do what I can to sever whatever else is remaining of the bond. Consider your wish granted."

"Why?" she asked in near shock. It hadn't occurred to her that she had upset him that deeply.

"Because I cannot live out my life with a mate that does not wish to reciprocate a bond."

"But I still want a life with you, Vegeta." She objected. "I'm not saying I'll never want the bond, I'm only saying I don't want it right now. Not after going through what I did because of it. I still have horrible headaches!"

"So what am I to do, then, Woman?" he sneered. "Sit around like a fool, waiting for however long in hopes that you might decide to accept it? What if that never happens?"

"I'm not saying it'll never happen, I'm just saying that I need some time." He stopped walking, nodded and remained silent for a long while that felt like forever to her. "How can you expect me to blindly leap into a soul-consuming bond with a man I was taught to hate who can't even tell me he loves me?"

"If you'd take the time to put in the effort in strengthening the bond again, you would not need me to say those words. You would simply know it." he said coolly.

"Well, maybe I still need to hear it!" she said angrily. "You said so yourself that you failed me by not telling me how you really felt. I am warning you right now, you are in danger of failing me yet again, just because you can't say a simple statement."

"If it is such a simple statement, then why does it matter that much?" he asked.

"Because I need to hear It." she argued.

He looked her over again, long and hard as he considered her words. "If I say that, will you be willing to work on the bond?"

She shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know, it couldn't hurt, right? It would sure make me feel more confident."

"That still is not good enough." He said and continued to walk away from her again.

"Wait!" she called to him. "Please don't go, just give me some more time! Please, Vegeta?"

"Begging does not suit you." He replied tonelessly hoping and praying that she would not start crying; he could not stand it when she cried and knew that if she did, it would crack his remaining resolve to do this. As it was, he was very close to giving in and staying to give her a chance. But if he did that, would she still continue to evade the issue? What would giving her more time accomplish other than lead him down a further abyss of misery?

"Where will you go?" she asked.

He stopped to humor her and shrugged. "Likely back to my home. I will finally take my rightful place."

"Will you be back?" she asked after another long pause.

"Why would I come back?" he snorted. "There is nothing here for me."

"What about your son?"

"I thought you did not want me to be a part of his life." He replied dryly. "Kakarott will help train him. You may or may not teach him of his heritage. It is up to you. I will not insist."

"Wow." She said shaking her head at him. "So just like that. You're just going to up and leave?"

"You leave me with little choice, Woman." He said softly before beginning to walk away from her again before his resolve to leave crumbled completely; in the last few moments he was trying to think up another excuse to stick around longer with hopes that she only needed a little more time but decided he could not endure any more. "Look after yourself and the boy; you'll both be safe here. That is all I ask of you." Were his final words before he took to the air and disappeared in a flash of blue and yellow following him.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 34** _

Bulma's knees buckled beneath her and she collapsed on the ground as she watched him leave. She could not believe it; he was actually leaving her! She covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to hold back a sob. She didn't want him to leave. How could he think that there was nothing left for him here? Even if things would never be one hundred percent right between them again, he still had a son to think about. Now he was abandoning both of them.

How could he? She thought again in an odd mix of grief and anger. Sure, she had wanted to leave him and get as far away from him as she possibly could when he'd come for her on Frieza's ship, but that had been her decision. He couldn't make the decision for her now after she had come to know him and realize that everything they had made her think was a complete lie.

Or was it?

She knew he had not been happy about her pregnancy. Maybe this was still an extension of that and he was using this as an excuse to not have to step up and be a father? She knew deep down that wasn't it, but it was what she was going to tell herself in the moment to make herself feel better. No one just up and left her without a valid reason or explanation!

Bulma sighed deeply as another sob burst forth. She knew she was lying to herself. She knew he had every valid reason to leave her. He had given her every opportunity to want to salvage things between them and she had ignored his need for her and accepted what he was willing to give her and then shut him out. This was all her fault; she could not blame him for any of it and she knew it.

After several minutes of wallowing in grief and self-pity, she picked herself up off the ground and headed back for the house. She wasn't sure what she was going to tell everyone, but decided it was better she go back there than sit on the dirt road crying like a lost child.

As she headed back to the house she could not help but keep looking back behind her and off to the sides in hope that maybe he had just been bluffing. As the minutes went by and she did not see any sign of him the worse and worse she began to feel. She even tried to reach out to him through what was left of the bond and got nothing but emptiness and silence back from him.

She could see the house and silently hoped and prayed that maybe he was there. If only to let Kakarott know of his impending departure. She began to jog towards the house hoping that if he was still there that maybe she could catch him just before he left. Just so she could talk to him. And tell him what exactly? She wasn't sure.

Bulma barged into the house disruptively, ignoring the dogs completely and looking around the small kitchen. Her mother and father, Chi-Chi and Kakarott were the only ones there. She looked at Kakarott in panic, "Where's Vegeta? Has he been here?" she asked nearly frantically.

The younger Saiyan shook his head in confusion, "No. The last I saw him was on the ship," he answered. "Why? What's wrong?"

"He's leaving," she sobbed. "He said he was leaving."

"Leaving where?" Kakarott asked with a frown.

"To go back home he said."

"When, now?"

Bulma nodded, unable to speak at this point.

"Why?" he asked, looking suspiciously at her. "What happened?"

Bulma shook her head. "It's all my fault; I said I didn't want to create the bond again. So he said he couldn't stick around."

"Oh, dear." Her mother sighed, walking up to her daughter and hugging her. "I'm sure he didn't mean that; he'll be back."

"When is he leaving?" Kakarott asked, ignoring Bunny all together.

"Now," she answered. Kakarott gave her an uncharacteristically irritated glance and headed out the door. "If you find him, tell him I'm sorry! Please tell him not to leave!"

Kakarott stopped out in the front yard. "I can't sense him. If he's still on this planet, he is concealing his energy. In which case, it means he does not want to be found. I will take a look around, Bulma; but if he doesn't want to be found, the chances of me finding him will be slim to none."

Bulma couldn't help but begin to cry again as Kakarott quickly searched the gravity room. When it turned out Vegeta wasn't in there, he leaped into the air and disappeared into the sky.

"There, there, dear." Her mother said soothingly. "Young men can be so fickle. They say and do things all the time they don't really mean. I'm sure this is nothing more than that and he will be back be tonight to resolve this little misunderstanding."

"No. You don't get it, Mom," she sniffled, pushing her mother away. "It's not that simple. I wasn't thinking; I was being completely selfish and not considering him and his needs and rejected him in the worse way imaginable."

"Well, I told you, dear not to keep putting him off like you were." Her mother shrugged. "He may be a honorable upstanding gentleman, but I am sure even he can take so much before he decides to throw in the towel. It's not like he didn't try. Do you not listen to a word I ever tell you?"

Bulma rolled her eyes and walked out of the kitchen and away from her mother. "Which room is mine?" she asked Chi-Chi.

"Just upstairs to the right." Chi-Chi answered quietly, letting her friend go and watched as the dogs followed her anxiously up the stairs.

About an hour or two later, Chi-Chi knocked on her door and went in to check on her friend. "Bulma? Are you alright?"

"No," she answered, curled up in bed facing away from the door.

Chi-Chi quietly closed the door and crawled into bed with her friend, giving her a hug. "Hi. I'm glad you're home. I was worried about you and missed you."

"I missed you too," Bulma said. "Sorry for all the commotion."

"That's alright. I still don't understand all that happened. Kakarott only filled in bits and pieces here and there."

"He's back?"

"Yea," Chi-Chi nodded. "He couldn't find Vegeta, I'm sorry. He said he would try again in a few hours and look again tomorrow but it's not looking good I'm afraid. The good news is the ship you guys took is still here. Unless he decided to take a different one. Then who knows if he really is still here."

After a long moment of silence, Bulma began to cry again. "This is all my fault, Chi,"

"Well, tell me what happened? You guys always have your little spats, but they never last for more than a few hours. Maybe your mother is right and he'll come back?"

"No," she shook her head. "He meant it. He's leaving. I pushed him too far."

"What happened, Bulma?" Chi-Chi asked her again.

Bulma went into what she knew from what Vegeta had told her about when she'd gone missing. She told her about what Dr. Gero and Frieza had done to her, how she didn't remember her past life with Vegeta and even hated him because of what they'd done to her. She told him about the battle on the ship and how despite her wanting nothing to do with Vegeta, he still had somehow made her getting off the ship and away from Frieza his main priority. She told her about the trip back and what had gone on between them and what had happened just a few hours ago.

Chi-Chi listened quietly and patiently to her friend. Her heart went out to her for everything that had happened and she was silent a few minutes before deciding to weigh in her opinion. "Don't take this the wrong way, Bulma, but you've really screwed up." She said with a heavy sigh. "I get where you're coming from, I do, but you need to let go of whatever it was they did and fix things with Vegeta.

"I don't always get him and I have wondered time and again what it was exactly that drew you to him; he can be rough and arrogant and difficult to be around, but that man loves you. I know he won't say it, but so what? You always told me that what he could not tell you with words, he more than made up for in his actions and what you felt from him through your bond I believe that. B, when you were taken, he was beyond devastated. He blamed himself. And while, I do agree with him, that it was partially his fault for not keeping the bond open so that he would know that you were in trouble, I also know that he would do just about anything for you."

Bulma nodded. "What's your take on the bond?"

Chi-Chi shrugged. "It's different and a bit strange, but I wouldn't want to change it or undo it for the world. It takes your relationship to a whole other level. You didn't mind it before. In fact, I found myself at times jealous that the two of you had formed such a strong bond. Kakarott and I have a pretty good bond, but it pales in comparison to what you two had. B, as your best friend, I am telling you: if you get the chance to undo this and he hasn't actually left, restore it. You won't be sorry."

"What if he doesn't come back?"

"Well, I couldn't blame him," her friend replied with a sigh. "And I can't imagine what he must be feeling now after everything that has happened; he finally got you back safe and sound and now you tease him and lead him on and then tell him no?"

"Chi, it wasn't like that,"

"Bulma, what did you think was going to happen?" Chi-Chi asked her in an annoyed tone. "Did you honestly think he would be just ok with holding hands and making out forever? That he wouldn't eventually expect more from you, more being for you to want to make an effort, a real effort to fix things?"

"No," Bulma admitted. "But I thought he'd be willing to give me more than a month before throwing in the towel."

"Ok, that's one way of looking at it, but look at it from his perspective; you're sharing a bed and making out and willing to sleep with him so why not just fix the bond? You might be able to get your memories back and if not, just start from scratch and improve your current relationship. It's not such a bad thing, really, Bulma." Chi-Chi said. "I get your point of view, a lot of bad stuff has gone down between you two so I can understand your hesitancy in wanting to go there again, but you've been through too much for you to walk away from each other just like that. You need to stop being so stubborn and trust him; and if you can't trust him, then trust me. He's probably a mess right now over this and if I know him, in a very foul mood because he does not like anything to do with having to face feelings and emotions.

"B, I saw what it did to you when he unknowingly blocked you out for several months. You were a mess. Once you guys found each other again and fixed it, everything was fine. You were never happier. He was happy; well, as happy as Vegeta ever lets anyone see, I guess. But I am sure he is a complete mess over this and it's more than likely freaking him out that he cannot control this. You need to find him and fix this before he does something stupid and permanently severs everything between you two. That may even throw you into a mess again for all I know and I don't want to deal with that again, believe me!"

"Thanks, Chi." Bulma said. "I wish you had come along with them,"

"I wasn't allowed."

"I know and trust me, they were right in not letting you come; it was dangerous. I thought the ship was going to blow up at one point. But I wish you had been there on the ship on our journey back. I was so afraid of him at first, you have no idea. I tried to talk to him right after we left Frieza's ship and it didn't go well. Then he ignored me for the first two weeks, which was okay because I needed my space to think things through. Then he came to me and we started working on things and it was all going well until he wanted to fix the bond and I said I didn't want to. Then everything changed. I wish you had been around then to tell me these things. Now, I've just gone and screwed things up."

"Let's just hope not, B." Chi-Chi said, hugging her friend. "Get some rest. I'll get up tomorrow with you and help you go look for him, alright?"

"How are we going to do that, Chi? We can't fly."

"Send Aro out. If he's around, that dog will find him. He adores him."

"Alright. Sounds good, Chi." Bulma agreed. "Where are my parents by the way? I completely forgot about them."

"Well, Kakarott was able to let me know when you were all headed back here that they were both with you guys so Krillin volunteered to let them stay with him at his place until they find their own place."

"That's great. Thank you." Bulma nodded. "I'll have to go thank Krillin tomorrow."

"Actually, I think it'll be really good for him and we've done him a favor." Chi-Chi giggled. "I was there helping to set up their room and the man is clueless about keeping a house and cooking. Your mom will have a field day whipping him into shape." she said and left Bulma alone again in her thoughts.

Bulma thought back on their conversation. Oh, how she wished she'd had Chi-Chi's insight before she had opened her big mouth! She hadn't told her anything she hadn't been told already. But Chi-Chi was always so protective of her. If she thought fixing the bond was a bad idea, then she would have told her. Would she have still listened to her though? She never listened to her to dump Yamcha to the curb time and time again.

She sighed heavily, feeling emotionally and physically exhausted and eventually fell asleep.

-0-0-0-

The next day, she found herself up early. She decided to walk the dogs and see if she could find Vegeta anywhere.

She took a look inside the gravity room and noticed that it was completely empty. She then headed off down the road, looking around as far as she could in hopes that maybe she would spot him flying somewhere, but still so far no dice.

After over an hour, she headed back home. Chi-Chi was already up and making breakfast.

"Hey," she greeted. "Would you like some breakfast? I'm almost finished."

"No, I'm not hungry, thanks though. I just need coffee."

"You should eat, Bulma," Chi-Chi said in a warning tone. "Trust me,"

"I know, but I just can't. My stomach is in knots."

Chi-Chi shook her head and placed some toast and a warm beverage that looked like coffee in front of her anyway. "Eat something."

"Fine," she rolled her eyes, grabbing her coffee mug and sipping. It did taste like coffee. "How have you been?"

"Alright," Chi-Chi shrugged. "This pregnancy is really taking its toll. I can't wait to just have it already."

"How far along are you now?"

"Almost 8 months," Chi-Chi sighed, rubbing her huge stomach. "But it feels like I've been pregnant forever."

Bulma smiled at her friend. "I know this is a really strange question, but I can't remember how long I've been pregnant for. Do you know how far along I am then?"

"Well, I was about four or five months when Vegeta came back here for you. You got pregnant sometime in there. You knew about it for a few weeks before you were taken and that was two months ago now at least so since I'm just under eight months, that would make you like 4 months then?" Chi-Chi guessed.

Bulma nodded.

"Yea, you're just starting to show too, that's when I started showing was around the four month mark. So you'd better start eating, girl! If your baby is anything like mine, he'll have the same impossible appetite their father's do."

"You look good, though." Bulma commented.

"Thanks!" Chi-Chi grinned.

Bulma ate some of her toast almost mechanically, trying to figure out what she should do next after she ate. She decided on a shower and a change of clothes before setting out to look for Vegeta again.

_**Three days later...** _

Vegeta watched as Bulma left the house to walk Aro. He had managed to keep a very low profile these past three days. He had almost been found by Kakarott a few times when he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. Thankfully, he had been smarter than the younger Saiyan and had been able to keep himself hidden from him.

Once she was nearly out of sight, he cautiously climbed into her, or their, bedroom window and began going through her clothes. Packing things here and there that he thought he may need for his trip.

He had the misfortune of running into her father last night when he had come by the house to check on her. The old man had been out for a walk, or that's what he had claimed and so he had seen Vegeta and he had had no choice but to speak with the older man.

_**Flashback** _

" _ **It is nice to see you, my boy." Dr. Briefs greeted him.**_

_**Vegeta sighed heavily and ground his teeth together. Why hadn't he been more careful in making sure he would not be seen? "What do you want? To give me a hard time over my choices?"** _

" _ **Not at all," Dr. Briefs replied shaking his head and placing his hands in his pockets. "I am actually on your side of the issue at hand."**_

" _ **What do you mean 'My side'?" Vegeta scoffed.**_

" _ **I feel for you," Dr. Briefs said simply. "And I feel my daughter has been very unfair to you."**_

" _ **You are her father and yet you betray her by taking my side?" Vegeta asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Why?"**_

" _ **Because even though I do not know you well, even I can see that she is being rather unfair to you." Dr. Briefs replied, standing next to him. The older man looked even older than Vegeta had initially guessed him to be in the dark. "These last few days have been very hard on her."**_

" _ **Have they now?"**_

_**Dr. Briefs nodded. "I am glad you are still here."** _

" _ **Well, I am leaving tomorrow." Vegeta replied with finality. "I will make a point of speaking with her tomorrow before my departure. She has a choice: She may decide to remain here or she may come with me. It is her call. Should she decide to stay here, I will respect her wishes and leave her alone for good."**_

" _ **And if she decides to go with you?"**_

" _ **I will take her someplace safe for her to birth the child. There is no technology on this planet. Kakarott has a backup plan for his mate and it is adequate. Should Bulma decide to remain here, she should be alright, but I would rather take her elsewhere that has advanced technology where she can be properly monitored and cared for."**_

_**Briefs nodded. "Alright."** _

" _ **I was not asking your permission, old man." Vegeta growled. "I am simply notifying you of her whereabouts should she suddenly disappear tomorrow."**_

" _ **I was not giving you my permission. I was merely acknowledging your decision." Briefs replied. "If it makes you feel any better, I have a good feeling that you've shaken her up good enough that she will be more than willing to go with you."**_

_**Vegeta sighed deeply, guilt flowing through him at the thought that he may have put her through more distress than necessary. "We shall see."** _

" _ **Just bring her back from time to time, please?" Briefs asked him. "That is, if she accepts your offer."**_

_**Vegeta nodded. "I will bring her back once she has birthed my heir and then we shall decide whether or not to remain here or return to my home planet." He said. "Should I return there, I have a position available for you in our science department and someone who would be thrilled to work with you. Your daughter's genius absolutely astounded him. You and your mate will be provided for."** _

" _ **That sounds good, my boy." Briefs nodded. "Thank you for everything you have done for our family."**_

" _ **Hmmmn." Was all he said as he left the older man for the rest of the evening.**_

-0-0-0-

He managed to follow her from a safe distance as she was walking Aro. Finally she stopped where she usually did to toss the ball for the dog.

"I know you're there." She said.

"So you have learned to be somewhat aware of your surroundings." He said, stepping out from behind a tree not too far from where she was standing.

"I thought you'd left." she replied coolly, not turning to look at him; though Aro had run back to greet him.

"I almost did," he said as he walked up to her slowly.

"What changed your mind?"

"I don't know," He answered. "I wanted to speak with you before leaving."

"Alright." She said, as she felt him come up behind her. She shivered at his close proximity and she fought the urge to lean back into him.

"I would like for you to come with me," he said, leaning into her right ear. "I thought if I left you alone for a few days you may consider it. We can leave now; the ship is ready. I am simply waiting for you."

"And where are we going?" she asked. "Back to your home planet?"

"In time, yes." He answered. "I will not bring you there until you have safely birthed our child. However, if you decide to not come with me now, I will head there immediately."

"So where is it you are taking me then?"

"Anywhere," he shrugged. "You used to want me to show you the galaxy. Now with Frieza gone, I would be able to do that. There is still much time; we can find a suitable planet for you to safely birth our child."

She nodded. "What about Chi-Chi though?"

"Kakarott is not concerned about it; that is his business." He growled. "There is a regeneration tank in the gravity chamber that should help her if she runs into any difficulty. It should help you as well, but I would rather have you off this planet."

"And my parents?"

"They will be fine here," He answered. "I already spoke with your father about you potentially leaving with me, should you agree."

Bulma stood there a moment thinking it through. She was so relieved that he hadn't left. She had been sure on their last meeting when he had let her know that he was planning to leave that it would be the last time she would see him for a long time, if ever again. She knew she'd hurt him back on the ship and did not blame him if he decided he wanted to just leave her and move on with his life. Here he was, trying once again to try and salvage their relationship, only he was leaving the choice up to her; he wasn't demanding or begging her to leave with him. He was asking her to make a choice: to stay here or come with him. She knew she needed to consider her answer very carefully. If she declined him on this offer, this may be the very last time she would see him.

A huge part of her wanted nothing more than to go with him; her adventurous side. The side that wanted to explore and see everything that could be seen with someone that knew how things worked, where to go and where not to go. She knew he would keep her safe and out of trouble and he would make sure she would have someplace safe to have their baby. That meant that he would accompany her for the birth and the thought of that overjoyed her that she wouldn't have to do that alone, without him. The small part that was holding her back was the voice in her head reminding her that if she did leave with him, it meant she would have to restore their bond and try to resume a normal life with him. While the thought of the bond still terrified her, she also really wanted to remember her past life with him. If she had trusted him before, then she would take the leap and trust him again. The longer she thought on it, the more she decided that leaving with him wouldn't be such a bad thing. It would be just the two of them with no one else to interfere or have her worry that someone else may be listening in on their conversation. Though if it was just the two of them, she would be stuck in outer space with just him. What if things didn't work out for them? Would he bring her back here? On the other hand, if she rejected this opportunity she would never know if they could have worked things out between them.

"Alright," she finally answered. "I will come with you."

She felt him exhale, his breath brushing against the back of her neck; she hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath this whole time while waiting for her response and she decided in that moment that she had made the right decision. She smiled to herself as she felt his arms snake around her waist and he rested his chin on her right shoulder; she relaxed against him. "And I will put an effort into the bond." She added.

He skimmed his nose up the side of her neck, burying his face in her hair and taking in her scent. He was so relieved that she agreed to come with him. He had honestly assumed she would not want to come; he had very nearly just left without her for fear of yet another rejection from her. He carefully ran his hands along her waist, feeling the small bump beginning to develop there. He smiled against her hair as he sought out the child. As usual, its ki was burning bright and strong and healthy, so far as he could tell anyway. He did not want to leave her to birth their child without him. Despite his hurt at her rejection a few days prior, he would have made sure he had returned for the birth of his son. She hadn't had to know that at the time, however.

"When do we leave?" she asked, taking him out of his thoughts.

"Now." He said, picking her up and holding her bridal style.

"But I don't have anything to wear and I need to say good bye to my parents and Chi-Chi." She objected. "And we need to take Aro back."

"Go home," he said to the medium sized Shepherd. Aro looked at him a moment, his ears flicking forward and back. "Go. Go home." Aro looked at them again for a moment before turning and trotting down the road back towards the house. "Your father knows that if you were leaving with me that it would be today. He will notify everyone else and I took the liberty of packing a few things for you already."

"Did you, now?" she replied with a raised eyebrow. "You were that sure that I would be willing to just up and leave with you? My some people are presumptuous."

"I decided it was a fifty-fifty chance either way." he replied. "I only waited until you were out walking the dog because I figured if I could get you in a good mood, the odds would be more in my favor."

"I see, so you've been plotting against me," she said, tightening her arms around his neck as he leapt into the air.

"I would not go that far. Merely choosing my opportunity so as to have somewhat of an advantage. You are the most stubborn woman I have ever encountered. I needed something working for me," He replied with a playful snort. "Walking the dogs usually puts you in an agreeable mood."

"Ohh, so you actually plotted to approach me when you figured I would be in the best mood to agree to come with you?" she asked with a smile.

"I am not known for being a genius tactician in battle for nothing, Woman." He replied arrogantly. "I always ambush my objective when the odds are stacked in my favor."

"And what if I was walking the dog because I was in a bad mood?" she teased. "Then what? Mr. Tactician?"

"Your body language did not indicate that you were in a foul mood." He answered. "And if it had, I would have simply hung back until near the end of your outing since walking the dogs usually puts you in a decent mood."

"Hmm, know thy enemy." She chuckled as he landed in front of the ship.

"You are not my enemy," he said with a frown, walking into the ship.

"Uh huh." She responded, rolling her eyes.

He put her down as he went to shut the door and then start the ship. She followed him to the control room and took a seat on the passenger's side beside him. She watched him intently as he began to enter in coordinates and fired up the ship. She couldn't help but smile as she felt her stomach flutter in excitement and anticipation of what to expect. She had no idea what to expect! And the thought of that both thrilled her and frightened her.

"Are you sure you want to leave?" he asked, turning to look at her, his face blank and stoic, but his eyes burning intensely through her.

She smiled at him and nodded, "Absolutely."

He smirked his the trademark smirk and launched the ship the second the words of confirmation left her mouth.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: For those of you who are under 18 or aren't comfortable with adult content I will warn you, this chapter has a lot of it. I am sorry! I'm not going to bother with a disclaimer beforehand. Just skim through those naughty bits because there's lots of conversation and such throughout. I did make an effort to not make this raunchy, offensive or distasteful in any way. Be aware, this chapter contains mostly that… 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! I put a lot of time and effort into this to make it perfect.. I have read it and re read it over a bazillion times over and I'm very happy with it, even though it is sappy and over dramatic but if you have read this far and haven't figured out by now that I am a hopeless romantic, then you'll have to forgive me.. I promise. It won't last. I have started drafting ideas for the sequel and there is plenty of the irritable crabby Vegeta we all love and adore! Plus I am too evil an author to leave everything picture perfect for too long…
> 
> A HUGE THANK YOU once again to the amazing Dragonbabezee for beta-ing for me and fixing my silly errors.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 35** _

Vegeta launched the ship and off they went.

Bulma couldn't help but giggle from giddiness as the ship quickly exited the planet's atmosphere within minutes. This was the most ridiculous plan ever! Stranding herself in the middle of the unknown universe with an alien prince she barely knew. While ridiculous, the thrill of not knowing what to expect out of this trip was exhilarating.

"So? Where are we going?" she asked him once her giggling fit had passed.

"Where would you like to go?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she shrugged, exhaling heavily so her cheeks puffed out as she thought for a moment. "Until my planet was destroyed, I had no idea that life existed on other planets."

"How stupid and presumptuous; not to mention arrogant of your race to assume that!" he scoffed.

"Uh-huh," she replied, rolling her eyes at him. "Anyway, I don't know where to go. Take me anywhere. Some place interesting and fun; some place romantic. Surprise me!"

"Pffft." He snorted. _Romantic._ There was something he had no idea about. The only place that came to mind for him was his island back on Vegeta-sei, but he couldn't take her there. Not without his father knowing that he had returned. It would be impossible to land anywhere on the planet without being detected. _Interesting and fun_ ; there was another one he was completely clueless about. His idea of interesting and fun would not be the same as hers. It dawned on him at that very moment that even if she had all her memories, if she told him to take her someplace "romantic, interesting and fun", he would still have no idea where to take her. The immediate and obvious choice would be to take her somewhere extremely advanced in technology. He remembered that she had been in awe of his planet when she had first arrived there and she had flourished working with Bardock. He knew Vegeta-sei was one of the most technologically advanced planets in the galaxy, but he knew of a few others that put their empire to shame. It had always been his intention to build a peace treaty with these planets so as to share their advancements with his people. Unfortunately, his father never felt the same way so it was something that he kept at the back of his mind for when he would one day be king.

Vegeta thought for a few moments longer on her request. While he knew taking her someplace advanced would make her happy, he also did not want her completely distracted from him. The whole point of this was for them to rebuild their bond. So then, where to take her immediately? He decided on a technologically advanced planet for later on in her pregnancy. So that would be on the itinerary eventually anyway. So that left somewhere "romantic" for him to take her, and he had no ideas.

"If you still lived on your home planet and we were in this very same situation, where would you have me take you?" he asked, deciding to narrow down his options that way.

"Hmmm; either some place hot and sunny, like a tropical beach somewhere but completely private. Like Mexico or Hawaii or Fiji even. I had a friend that got married on a private island there and they honeymooned for like two weeks, just the two of them. Or a romantic older city in some ancient, preserved place like Rome or Venice."

He turned and looked at her blankly; he had never heard of any of those places, nor had he any clue what they were like. He sighed and thought for a moment of where to take her. He figured someplace warm and tropical with minimal distraction would suffice, so he entered the coordinates for a planet he had stopped on briefly once before when he had been working under Frieza after Bulma's supposed death. He had only stayed long enough to refuel and grab a decent meal but he remembered thinking that it would have been the perfect place to bring her had she still been alive.

The planet Tonga*. It was a very warm planet that consisted of many small private islands that were available for occupancy. From what he recalled when he was there, it was also very reasonably priced as well, though money wasn't an issue for him.

Vegeta entered the coordinates and set the ship on autopilot. "We will arrive at our destination in three days."

"Where did you decide?" She asked eagerly.

"You shall see soon enough." He replied evasively, not wanting to spoil it for her.

Bulma nodded thoughtfully, suddenly feeling nervous. She wasn't sure what to say to him. "You said you packed some clothing for me?"

Vegeta nodded, reaching into his pocket and handed her two capsules.

"I'm going to take a shower and change, if that's alright." She said, getting up and leaving him in the control room. He simply nodded.

He wasn't sure what to do now. He hadn't really thought any further than asking her to leave with him. He had a destination now but didn't know what to do. His immediate thought was to accompany her in the shower, but that wouldn't be appropriate at this point in time. He wasn't sure what would be appropriate. Should he go to her or should he wait for her to come to him?

He decided to wait and see what she did and in the meantime, he would make something to eat. He had eaten very little the days they had been on Callisto and he was starving. He figured it wouldn't hurt to make the Woman something as well. With that in mind, he got up and headed to the kitchen.

-0-0-0-

Bulma rifled through her selection of clothes once she was finished her shower. Some of them, the more fancy clothing, she remembered from back on Earth, other outfits that were more simple, she could not recall but assumed she had gotten them on her time on Callisto.

She finished brushing out her damp hair, which was now just a bit past her shoulders; and then settled on a nice dress to wear. She figured since she was going to make the effort with him, it couldn't hurt to make herself up a bit; she could not remember the last time she'd worn something nice. She was a little more than disappointed that there didn't seem to be any make up or foundation for her to use.

The dress she chose was an off the shoulder nude colored dress with black lace over the nude, giving the appearance that she was naked beneath the black lace. It fit snuggly around her chest area, and the rest of her body. It had gathers on the side, which flattered her figure since the dress was fairly snug all over, the gathers hid her small bump beginning to protrude from her waist. She gave herself another once-over and decided since she had no make-up, that this would have to do and left to go look for Vegeta.

She quietly made her way down the hall in search of him until she finally found him in the kitchen sitting at the table, eating.

"Hey," she greeted, standing at the door, not venturing in further.

He quit eating and looked at her. Despite her still-damp hair and the lack of make-up, she still looked nothing less than radiant to him. The dress she chose didn't escape his notice; he remembered that dress immediately. It was the same dress she had worn when they had found each other on Bellatrix after all those months of being separated. He wondered if she had remembered that on her own and had chosen this dress on purpose or if it had just been by chance? He couldn't help but remember as well that she hadn't been wearing any undergarments underneath the last time as well and wondered if she had chosen not to as well this time too? He sighed heavily, trying to dismiss the thought from his mind.

"Can I join you?" she asked awkwardly as he devoured her with his eyes. She felt her face grow warm from the intense way he was looking at her and assumed he approved of her choice of attire. It was a pretty dress, but she hadn't expected him to look at her like that.

"Of course." He said finally, looking away from her. He hadn't meant to make her feel uncomfortable. "There's more food, if you'd like." He finished, getting up to grab her a plate.

"It's fine, I got it." she said, walking over and taking the plate from him. "You don't have to."

He nodded took a step back from her as she began to dish out some food for herself. "It's not the best meal, but it will do," he said awkwardly. "Where we are going will be much better."

"No worries," she replied, serving herself a healthy helping.

"I cooked everything," he said.

"I see that," she nodded and looked at him oddly.

He exhaled deeply partially from annoyance and partially in disappointment. She still didn't remember a damn thing, did she? He refrained from touching her and drawing her close to him; the urge to do so was almost overpowering. Instead he nodded and sat back down at his seat.

They ate in companionable silence for several minutes before she finally decided to talk to him. "So how do I start fixing the bond with you?"

He was quiet for a moment. He hadn't thought she would want to just start on that immediately. He was more than happy that she had even left with him. He had thought she would want to take things easy for at least a few days before wanting to jump right into the more serious issues between them. Though he was more than thrilled by her willingness to take the initiative, he chose his response carefully. "You've managed to build up a mental wall, keeping me out. Since you've managed to maintain that for several weeks, you will have to work at bringing it down again."

She nodded, but didn't really understand. It had been very easy for her to put up the wall. "How?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Just focus on not blocking me and picking up on my thoughts is all I can really say. That is how I did it before. I had to make the conscious effort to take in your thoughts rather than dismissing them, to undo it. In time it became easy. If that does not work then the only other way I can think of would be for us to reopen it would be for me to bite you again."

"Alright," she said with a frown as she tried to concentrate. After several minutes, she shook her head. "I can't do this. It's just giving me a headache."

"It will take time," he said. "I do not expect you to be able to fix it instantly. All I ask is that you try and put an effort into it. We will work on it together."

She nodded. "I'm sorry,"

"You have nothing to feel sorry for. None of this is your fault." He said.

"Not that. I'm sorry for not trying sooner," she clarified. "I didn't mean to be selfish and hurt you back on the ship. This whole thing is so foreign to me and it scares me. It really does!"

He shook his head. "I should not have reacted the way that I did. I am sorry for not being more patient; I said things that I did not mean and when I thought back on it, I realized that I was being unfair to you for expecting so much."

"It's alright," she said with a small smile. "I can't imagine what it would be like to have your spouse with you but not remember anything. I wasn't thinking about you or what you might be going through with all of this."

"It does not matter now," he said curtly, not wanting to rehash everything all over again. "You are here now. We will work on it together."

She nodded. "We have nothing else to do, right?"

"Hmmn," he grunted.

Silence once more enveloped them. Bulma wanted to say something more to him but could not think of anything. She decided to wash the dishes and clean up a bit to keep herself busy so she wouldn't feel so awkward. She turned away from him at the counter as she began washing the dishes quietly, listening to the clanking as she worked.

_**She heard a knock on the door.** _

_**Bulma raced to the door and opened it slowly. She was relieved to see it was Vegeta. He looked as regal as ever, wearing a black flight suit underneath his formal armor. "Hi."** _

_**"Hi." He replied looking at her strangely, taking in her appearance. She had cut all her hair off. She was still breathtakingly gorgeous though.** _

_**"You're early." She said awkwardly.** _

_**"I am." He nodded. "Are you going to let me in or should I leave and come back later?" he asked raising an eyebrow.** _

_**"No, no! Don't go. Please," Bulma said awkwardly, gesturing to for him to come in. "Come in. I ordered some food and some wine." She said, closing the door behind him.** _

_**He watched her closely. This was crazy! He was half expecting her to vanish at any moment, that this was just another game his mind was playing with him. He could not help but notice how beautiful she looked in that dress; she was wearing a beautiful nude and black lace off the shoulder dress, giving the appearance that she was naked underneath the lace. It came down to just above her knee and had gathers on one side, flattering her figure.** _

_**She was just as striking as he had remembered; still delicate and feminine as always. He noticed almost immediately that her arms were nicely toned and her posture was better.** _ _**Good. Maybe she was still training.** _ _**He thought to himself. She looked well and that relieved him.** _

_**Bulma smiled shyly, not knowing what to say to him. She went to grab them both a glass of wine. "Here." she replied handing him a glass.** _

_**He took it and took a sip, still watching her sceptically.** _

She gasped and looked down at herself. Here she was, wearing that same dress. "Vegeta, did you?"

He nodded with a smirk. "Yes, I did." The fact that she had seen what he had been thinking was a very good sign where re-establishing the bond was concerned.

She turned around to face him, not missing the look of amusement dancing in the depths of his eyes. "I asked you before, not to do that." She said, narrowing her eyes at him.

He shrugged, "I did not listen," he said with a grin. "Would you like to see the rest of that memory? I recall it quite vividly."

Bulma felt her face grow warm again from the way he was looking at her and shook her head at him. She nearly laughed at the way his face fell slightly in disappointment. "What if I want to make a new memory and not dwell on an old one that only you can remember?"

Vegeta nodded and smirked at her as he got up from his seat at the table and approached her. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to him. "I would not be opposed to that." He said in a tone that made her feel warm all over.

She smiled a nervous smile at him. She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way; after all she wanted him and they had been together a countless number of times before, apparently. She was pregnant, so obviously they had done this before. She just could not remember.

"Why are you so nervous?" he asked her.

"Because," she started, feeling her face grow redder. "Because I don't remember ever doing this with you and I never did it with anyone else."

He shook his head at her and kissed her chastely on the lips. "So why are you troubled?"

"I feel… I feel worried I may disappoint you." She answered, biting her lower lip.

"And why would you think that?"

"Because you're obviously experienced." She answered.

He smirked and shook his head at her. "I am hardly more experienced than you."

She frowned in confusion at his answer.

"I have had no other woman before you, and I have not taken another woman since you." He said in a tone that made her stomach flutter again. "And I shall have no other woman after you."

"Really?" she asked while trying to hold back the smile threatening to take over her mouth.

"Hmmn," he nodded affirmatively before frowning and asking her; "Why is that so surprising to you?"

She blinked at him a few times before she responded, "Are you serious? Look at you! You're gorgeous! I'll bet you have women throwing themselves at you left, right, and center. Plus they told me you-"

He placed his hand over her mouth before she could finish the sentence. "I do not care what _**They**_ told you. _**I**_ am telling you that _**You**_ are the only woman I have ever wanted and have ever had and it shall remain that way for always."

Bulma smiled at him, "I'll take your word for it." she said, reaching for him and running her hand slowly through his thick hair.

He smirked at her again after a long moment of silence.

"What?" she asked with a puzzled look.

"I just thought now how humorous it is that in this situation I have the advantage." He chuckled with a wicked glint in his eye as one of his hands lightly travelled down her back slowly, earning him a shiver from her from the gentle but deliberate touch of his.

"How so?"

He leaned forward into her left ear, "I know every inch of your body like the back of my hand. I know everything that drives you insane with pleasure; you are like an open book to me." He whispered seductively before nipping her on her earlobe and sensually rubbing her lower back ever so gently.

Bulma inhaled sharply at his words and felt her body instantly flush with heat from what she wasn't sure. Nervousness, embarrassment, anticipation? Maybe a bit of all three? She certainly didn't doubt him. "Is that right?" was all she could manage to say in reply. "So then tell me, what was my favorite position then?"

He chuckled at her as he raised his head to look down at her. "You're just going to have to wait and see for yourself."

"That's not fair!" she objected weakly. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"Won't it be more fun this way?"

"No! Because you know everything and I don't know anything and that's not fair."

He laughed at her again and shook his head. He was having a lot of fun with this at her expense.

"Oh no," she moaned.

"Hmmn? What?"

"Is it something really perverted?" she asked with a worried look on her face. "Is that why you won't tell me?"

"No," he scoffed, not believing how silly she was being. "Anything between mates, so long as it is consensual between both partners is fair game and should not be thought of in that way."

She nodded and looked at him. "Can you at least give me a hint?"

He smirked down at her, tired of this conversation, and cupped the side of her face with his right hand and caressed her cheek with his thumb before leaning down and kissing her chastely.

She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her as she kissed him back hungrily. She sighed heavily against him as he brought his hands down to her waist; his large hands resting on her hips.

Without warning, he picked her up; holding her close to him as he left the kitchen and headed down towards the small bedroom where he gently placed her on the bed. He stepped away from her and knelt down in front of her. She looked at him questioningly.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked her quietly. He knew he wanted it, he wanted her and he wanted things back to the way it had been between them, but not if it wasn't something she was sure she wanted. He felt ashamed for the way he had treated her back on the ship and then again right after they had landed; he didn't know what he had been thinking. He had very nearly lost her due to his own impulsivity and selfishness. Her words to him that day they had arrived back on Callisto had rung through his head a million times over the three days he had kept away: " _ **You said so yourself that you failed me by not telling me how you really felt. I am warning you right now, you are in danger of failing me yet again, just because you can't say a simple statement."**_ He still wasn't sure he could tell her how much he really did love her, but he could show her.

She nodded. "I want to make things right,"

"I know," He said. "But this has to be something mutual. I want things back to the way they were, but only if that is what you want and not because of the way I reacted before."

"We can take things slowly, right?" she asked hopefully.

"We can take things slowly," he confirmed.

Bulma smiled warmly at him and reached for him, taking his hand and tugging on it as she crawled back further on the bed, happy that he complied. She touched the side of his face and wrapped her arm around the back of his neck, pulling him down towards her and kissed him.

He kissed her back, wrapping one arm around her waist and let the other travel up and down her side lightly. After a few minutes, he broke their kiss to look at her. Once again, he marveled at how beautiful she was and could hardly believe she was his. She was everything he could have ever wanted in a woman, a mate, a princess, and soon she would be his queen, if she would still have him, that is. Though he had little doubt that she would turn him away now at this point, a part of him wouldn't blame her if she did. He had hurt her and denied her and left her unprotected more times since they had been together than he cared to think about. He hoped with this trip he could make it up to her and they could remedy their union, renew their bond and start fresh together. No more denying or blocking. He wouldn't have it. He would not leave her guessing his feelings for her any longer. Who cared that it was a weakness? No one was here to witness it. No one else other than her needed to know it. She was his chosen mate. She had stuck by him through so much. He would not give up and cast her aside for wanting to wait on the bond. And if she never remembered everything, he decided that he could live with that. She was right: They could begin to make new memories now. Together.

With those thoughts in mind, he bent down and began kissing her again; deeply, thoroughly and with longing. Trying to convey his feelings to her since they were still missing the bond. As he kissed her he ran his other hand down the length of her body and up and underneath her dress. "Take this off," he mumbled against her mouth as he continued to kiss her.

She nodded and sat up somewhat as she pulled her dress off over her head and tossed it aside, revealing that she had only been wearing black lacy panties underneath and nothing else, but she immediately crossed her arms delicately and modestly over her chest, covering herself from his view. He smirked at her modesty, remembering how shy she had been the first few times they had been together before and loving her for it.

Vegeta leaned down and kissed her again, then reached for one of her hands and placed it above her head, and then the other hand, placing it next to the other so he had a clear view of her now. He kissed her up along her jawline and down her neck slowly making his way down lower and lower, scraping his teeth along her collarbone and making her yelp slightly at his nipping. He licked and then sucked where he had just bitten her in apology for his unintentional roughness. He reminded himself that he had to take things slowly and gently with her instead of completely giving in to his desire. He needed her and he needed their bond right now, but he would put it off a while longer for her if that was what she needed. For now, he would just be happy to lose himself with her in the most basic way; surrendering to the mind numbing pleasure he knew only she could provide for him. In return, he would do the same for her. His pride wouldn't allow anything less. By the end of tonight she would know that he truly did love her; he would make sure of it. And only then would he speak those words to her.

He let her hands go as he continued his journey down her body with his hands and mouth, worshiping her body; rubbing her and stroking her ever so gently in every which way and place he could remember she loved; he had not forgotten a single thing. She cried out as she felt his mouth close over one of her breasts; never before could she remember feeling anything as amazing as what he was doing to her and she knew they had only just begun.

Her breath hitched as his lips latched onto her nipple, sucking on it urgently but still gently for a few moments before moving onto the other to do the same thing. He smirked against her breast as she writhed against him, arching her chest into him. He could hear the frantic beating of her heart; as he continued to lavish his attention on her breast, he ran his hand up her side and let it rest on her chest; his palm resting where her heart was located. He could feel it beating just under her skin and he marveled wondrously once again, as he had countless times before at how fragile and delicate she was compared to him.

He moved onwards and downwards, alternating kissing and sucking and licking down to where his hand stopped on her protruding stomach. It was such a small bump right now, but compared to the flatness of her belly before, it was very noticeable to him. It occurred to him that within a few weeks she would be even bigger. He caressed the bump tenderly as though he were afraid to damage it or disturb anything. He kissed her belly softly almost as though he were in awe of the life growing safely inside. He brushed the tips of his fingers in circular motions across her stomach ever so lightly that it made her shiver. He looked up at her and smiled. A real, true smile!

Bulma was moved nearly to tears at the sight of him. She had never seen him smile, not since he had brought her back from Frieza's ship anyway. Sure she had seen him smirk and he was gorgeous; his usual scowl was sexy and appealing; but a true smile, made him almost devastatingly handsome. It was such a contrast to how he usually looked, she almost wished she had a camera to take a picture of him so she could have that image of him forever.

"What is it?" he asked, noting the strange smile on her face.

"Nothing, you just-" she started, shaking her head and hiding her smile, unsure if she should tell him or not. "I think you should smile more. That's all."

"Hmmmn," he grunted, mock frowning as though to rectify her observation. "The child is strong," he said to her, looking back at her stomach.

"You would doubt otherwise?" she asked.

"No," he answered. "Just merely making an observation."

She nodded and looked at him. "Anything else you can observe?"

He carefully placed his hand again on her belly and closed his eyes in concentration. "I can feel his heartbeat. It is very faint, but I can detect it."

"His?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. That hadn't been the first time he had referred to their baby as a boy. She had assumed that it was merely wishful thinking on his part but now wondered if he actually knew for sure?

"Hmmn," he nodded.

"You sure?" she challenged playfully. "How do you know?"

"My royal line always produces male children." He answered simply as though it were the most obvious thing in the universe. "You knew this before. Do you remember the name we had agreed on?"

She thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Vegeta? After you and your planet and your father?" she guessed.

"No," he shook his head.

"Then what?"

"Trunks," he answered. "After your father."

"Really?" she exclaimed, lighting up. "You're alright with that? He is your heir after all."

"I have no issue with it." he said. "Especially after having finally met your father. I would be more than happy to give my heir his name. I have done many things I am not proud of. My father has been involved with many atrocities. The Universe fears that name. I would not bequeath my son a name with a history such as that. As it is, I will have lots of work to do undoing the negative reputation of that name."

"Wow," She whispered, smiling to herself. "Why don't we name him Trunks Vegeta?"

He smirked at her.

"What?" she asked. "You don't like it?"

"No, I like it very much," he said with another smile that nearly took her breath away. "You suggested that before and we had both agreed upon it."

"Good." She nodded. "At least I'm on the same page where something is concerned, right?"

"You are." He agreed. "Do not worry yourself over it. You are right; we can make new memories."

She smiled at him and reached for him, wanting him close to her. He hesitated a moment to remove his shirt and tossing it on the floor somewhere before moving back up towards her, positioning one of his legs between hers.

Vegeta leaned down and kissed her deeply again, sliding one arm underneath her waist, bringing her closer to him. As he kissed her, he slowly brought his thigh that had been between her legs up to her center, as she began to grind her hips into his; her breath hitched as a wave of pleasure shot through her at the contact. She was revelling so much in that action that she hadn't noticed his other hand slowly making its way down between her legs, into her underwear, until he brushed his fingers gently over her clit a few times, making her cry out in pleasure before he slid two of his fingers into her already wet center.

Vegeta smirked wickedly at her as she tried to suppress a moan as he began to slowly move his fingers in and out of her. Oh yes, he was going to have a lot of fun tormenting her now. He decided she deserved nothing less after how she had gotten him all hot and bothered a few times on the ship on their way back to Callisto. He decided he was going to draw this out as long as he could before his own desire became too much for him to hold back anymore.

He leaned back down and kissed her again as he continued to pleasure her with his hand, enjoying the moans and panting noises she was now making.

"Vegeta," she mumbled against his mouth as she continued to move her hips against his hand, loving the feelings he was stirring up within her.

"Hmmn?" he grunted in acknowledgement, ceasing his ministrations. The last time they had been in a very similar predicament and she had said his name, she had asked him to stop. He hoped that wasn't the case right now. He took a deep breath, readying himself for her rejection; telling himself he would not be angry with her. He had told her they would go slow; maybe they were rushing things?

"No, don't stop," she said breathlessly as he had quit his pleasurable torture, still moving her hips against his hand. "Please; I want you,"

He raised his head to look at her; she was nearly glowing. Her face flushed from pleasure, her skin slightly damp from perspiration. "Then you shall have me, Woman." He said as he bent down to kiss her and continued to pleasure her again with his hand.

As he continued his pleasurable assault on her body she ran her hands up and down along his muscular arms a few times, resting them on his shoulders briefly before venturing them further down his back and back up again. Then she ran them down along his chest and abdomen until they reached his arousal. He stopped kissing her when she shyly retracted her hand, but he grasped it and put it back down to his groin. He wanted her to touch him. He wanted her to know how much he desired her.

Her eyes widened as she cupped him through his training pants, getting a sense of him. He couldn't help but smirk down at her as he remembered that same look coming from her the first time they had been together. The memory of that night would forever be precious to him but so would this. He did not have the worry and stress of hurting her this time. She was just as innocent now as she had been then but she could really enjoy him this time instead of being frightened over such an inconvenience.

He closed his eyes and moaned as she stroked him gently through his pants.

After a few moments of that, she gathered the courage to slide her hand down the front of his pants, actually touching him this time. He helped her slide them off down his hips before carelessly discarding them as well. He was pleased when she didn't show any hint of fear and continued to stroke him slowly.

She at his growl of need as she stroked him, but she was having a difficult time concentrating her efforts on him as he began moving his fingers inside of her again but with more urgency. She gasped as he suddenly stopped to rip off her panties in one easy motion as though they were nothing more than thin paper.

As much as he forgot how much he enjoyed foreplay with her, since they usually just skipped it, he decided enough was enough. His own arousal at this point was nearly unbearable he wanted her now. He looked down at her as he placed himself at her wet entrance, ready to take her; she looked absolutely stunning right now, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen from him kissing her to excess.

Bulma took a deep breath in preparation for him as she felt him, anticipating the discomfort.

"Do not be afraid," he said. "I will not hurt you."

She nodded and winced slightly as she felt the tip of him begin to press into her.

He kissed her deeply as he slowly sunk his length into her. She squeezed her eyes shut and moaned into his mouth as she felt him bury himself into her, though was pleasantly surprised at the absence of the discomfort she had been anticipating despite his assurance otherwise.

Vegeta could not wait any longer. Instead of giving her a moment he immediately began slowly moving in and out of her, gently making love to her. He broke his lips away from hers to look down at her; pleased that she seemed to be enjoying herself.

She cried out as he began to move just a little faster and harder into her as she wrapped her legs around his narrow waist.

As he bent down and kissed and nipped his way down her neck, he refrained from biting her again, despite the strong instinct urging him to do so. Not wanting to overwhelm her with trying to repair the bond, he decided to leave it be at the moment and just enjoy this.

She panted his name, running her hands down his back, clutching him and scratching him with her nails. She cried out as she came, waves of pleasure pulsing though her as he continued to thrust into her, not slowing down as he felt his own climax fast approaching.

Vegeta wrapped his arms around her waist, squeezing her tightly against him as he lost himself inside her. He brought his lips down to crash against hers so he would not bite her. He kissed her deeply as he continued to slowly rock his hips into her, trying to prolong both of their releases for just a little longer. It had felt like so long to him since they had been together. He smirked against her mouth as he felt her tremble against him, waves of pleasure still washing through her body.

He parted his lips from hers, resting his forehead against hers as he looked at her, trying to catch his breath again. Her arms were still wound around him, wanting to keep him close. He buried his nose in the crook of her neck for a few moments, inhaling her scent once more before he withdrew from her and held her close.

He was about to doze off in to a contented nap but the feeling of Bulma bringing her hand to his chest, lightly running her fingers up along his skin on his chest and abdomen roused him back to his senses. She finally ran her hand back up to his chest, lightly tracing his skin with her fingers. She turned slightly, resting her chin on one of his pectorals and looking at the deep scar her fingers had stopped at.

"What happened here?" she asked fingering it lightly.

He looked down at the scar in question, "Frieza." He answered with a frown. "I did not complete a mission the way he had wanted it done."

"You didn't finish it?"

"No, I finished it. Just not the way he had asked me to." He answered.

She nodded, studying it closely for a moment before carefully leaning over to kiss it, brushing her lips across it tenderly as though by doing so would make it disappear.

Never had he ever shared his battle wounds with anyone. Not even her. He had been able to tell that her former self had been bothered greatly by the many scars that marred his otherwise perfect body but despite that had never asked him specifically of the nature and origin of a single one of them as she did now.

Perhaps back then she had sensed his lack of desire to speak of anything to do with his past when he had served Frieza. Or maybe she had been afraid of the answers. Whatever the reason or case may be, he did not mind sharing the specifics of his battle history with her now.

Before he had.

Right now he didn't. Why was that? Maybe because now he knew that she would accept him despite all of his past transgressions. He had been so afraid of frightening her off before that he had never volunteered much to her; only bits and pieces here and there and only when she really pushed him. Now things were different. What was there to hide from her anymore? Frieza and his scientists had made sure she knew every evil and vile thing about him that he had previously sheltered her from. It had taken her some time to wrap her mind around it all and he had truly believed she would never be able to accept him, but here she was. In his arms, fussing over him with concern; not recoiling from him from fear or disgust.

She asked him about every scar and listened intently to him as he told her who, how or why he had gotten it. Most were from Frieza. One of two he had gotten from Zarbon or his father. The rest he had gotten from battles and skirmishes. Here and there. Those ones he didn't mind telling her about. They were almost like trophies.

After each explanation, she'd lick and kiss the imperfection. It dawned on him then that before all of this, he would absolutely not have allowed her to fuss over him like this. He wondered why?

The longer he thought on it, the more he decided it didn't matter. Frieza was dead. More than that. He had beaten him down and had humiliated him beyond belief. Sure he had some scars from the time he'd spent serving under him but he had overcome all of that. He had been able to rise above it all and wipe him out of this universe. And all because of a delicate, frail human woman he had happened to come upon by pure chance.

How had it even happened? How had he even allowed himself to let her in?

After all the horrible things he had been involved with in his past, he had assumed that any kind of happiness outside of universal domination was out of his realm of understanding. How had she been able to see and find in him what he himself hadn't thought existed? He had been brought up to believe that to care for someone else was not only a weakness, but something to be greatly ashamed of. Yet here he was. It dawned on him heavily now at this very moment more than ever before.

He loved her.

He had known that and had come to terms with it a while ago; shortly after they had been reunited on Callisto, but it had never struck him as hard as it did right now. He had known but had denied it almost violently for so long. He had heard of such ridiculousness and had always scoffed and ridiculed anyone who claimed to have any such affections for another. He had thought himself completely incapable of the emotion. He was selfish and prideful. Both traits that had nearly caused the demise of their relationship in the time they had been together.

He had denied her and shut her out. He was impatient and at times callous. He'd even threatened to leave her and she had still stuck it out with him without even knowing him. Oh, how thankful he was that she'd agreed to come with him! He was beyond ecstatic that things were beginning to look up for them! They still had a ways to go where rebuilding the bond was concerned, but he was alright with that. They would get there eventually; of that he was sure. He would give her as much time as she needed.

He loved her.

He looked at her and watched her as she stroked his skin gently. She was the kindest, gentlest being he had ever met, yet she was also one of the most mentally strong people he had ever met. She had no physical strength to speak of, yet could still manage to hold her own and had not lost her sanity. Here she was, she had been through hell and back and she was fussing over him. _**Him!**_ One of the strongest warriors in this universe. Yet as he took her in, as much as it didn't make sense, it was plain to see.

He loved her.

Finally, she brought her hand down to his abdomen, where her fingers caught in a deep scar. "What about this one?" she asked, bringing him out of his revelation.

He smirked at her. "That one was your fault."

She looked at him in alarm and frowned, "How could I have done that?"

"The day after I had taken you as my mate, I had left you in Kakarott's care to leave my planet. Circumstances were as such that it was not safe for you to remain on Vegeta-sei." He started.

"Is that when the ship was blown and you thought I had been killed?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. After Frieza had blown the ship and I foolishly attacked him in my rage. He broke my arm, my leg and several ribs. One puncturing a lung and one had protruded through the skin. That is from that scar."

She looked at him in awe. He had nearly killed himself over the thought that she had been killed. The depth of feeling this man seemed to carry for her nearly overwhelming her once again. He had been right all along, he did not need to tell her those words. She had been so stupid in her pushing him away and insisting on hearing them from him. The bond still wasn't re-established, but she understood why she hadn't needed him to tell her that he loved her, even now, without it. She was so moved by him right now. He had put everything on the line for her. More than once from what she knew now. She decided in that moment that it was her turn to give in and put herself on the line for him.

Bulma leaned forward as far as she could to fuss over that scar as she had the others. "I'm sorry for this one then." She said.

He chuckled at her. "It barely crosses my mind. You need not apologize for it."

She nodded and leaned back up to kiss him chastely. She wanted to tell him she wanted to fix the bond now, but wasn't quite sure how to say it, for whatever odd reason.

He looked at her, noticing her slight change in demeanor. She seemed deep in thought. He had not meant to make her feel bad over revealing the origin of that particular scar. He had only been teasing her when he had commented on it being her fault. He hadn't thought she would take it that much to heart. After all, it hadn't been her who had done it. Once again, it dawned on him how much he loved her.

She was somewhat different now than she had been before. She had changed a little. Not necessarily for the better, but definitely not for the worse either. She was still his Bulma in every way that mattered. He had been so caught up in worrying that she had changed so much and how she didn't remember anything that he had failed to take into account that she hadn't really been changed that much. She was still his woman. Still his mate. He still loved her whether things stayed as they were now or went back to the way they were.

He loved her.

Bulma felt her face begin to flush at the way he was looking at her. It was intense and almost made her tremble with want for him again. "What?" she whispered, beginning to feel more awkward by the moment as he looked at her.

"I love you," he said to her. There it was. He had said it. Never had he thought in a million years he would say those words to anyone and yet here he was, he had finally said it to her. And the universe still seemed to turn and function. There weren't any explosions or cataclysmic events coming to a head in the several silent moments following those words flowing from his lips. It was out in the open and he had to admit he didn't mind it.

She smiled at him and leaned up and kissed him. He had actually said it! She had decided she didn't need to hear it and yet he had said it just now. Tears began to flow freely. Never had she felt so loved and accepted. "I love you too," she said back to him. As she kissed him, she began moving her hand down towards his member and he smirked at her as he felt himself growing hard again. "Lusty wench," he whispered to her. As he rolled himself on top of her, ready to claim her once again as his.

Bulma closed her eyes and whimpered as he entered her and began to move in and out of her, slowly. This time he would take his time with her he decided as he laced his fingers with hers, gently pinning both hands above her head. He kept his pace slow and controlled, not wanting to rush things.

As she felt the levels of pleasure slowly beginning to build up within her again, she tried to move her hands but could not. She wanted to touch him and run her hands along his body but he would not let them go. She felt him smirk at her against her neck as he had felt her trying to free her hands from his firm grasp. He gently squeezed her hands playfully acknowledging that he knew she wanted her hands free but he would not let them go just yet. She mock scowled at him in response and arched her body against him as much as she could, wanting to be as close to him and take him in as deeply as she possibly could.

He continued to rock slowly into her, looking down at her, marvelling at her beauty once more, the expression on her face, completely endearing to him. He stilled his movements, keeping himself buried inside her just as he felt her beginning to tighten around him. He knew she was close, but wanted to prolong her release.

She moaned in frustration, arching her body into his, trying to still move against him to start another powerful release, feeling somewhat irritated that he had quit just as she was near her peak so soon after her last one.

"Vegeta," she sighed.

"Hmmn?" he growled as he pulled himself nearly out and slowly slid back into her almost torturously slow.

She couldn't remember what she wanted to say to him; almost all coherent thought lost to her at this point, pleasure the only thing she could concentrate on. He finally let her hands go, bringing his arms around her waist and bringing them both up so he had her in his lap. He settled on his knees; she wrapped her legs around him and she began moving herself up and down his length, riding him slowly.

Vegeta wrapped his arms tightly around her as he let her set the pace this time. One arm around her waist, the other under her arm and around her upper back, his fingers splayed out wide, rubbing her back comfortingly. He took in her scent and buried his face into her chest, sucking and licking at one of her breasts. She threw her head back, giving into all these pleasurable sensations.

She felt him scrape his teeth against her collarbone. "Do it," she murmured.

"Hmmn?" he grunted.

"Open it up," she said. "I want you to."

He raised his head and looked at her a moment. He didn't see any apprehension or doubt in her eyes. _**I'm not afraid anymore.**_ He heard her say.

He didn't question it. He kissed her deeply, his mouth assaulting hers almost aggressively. He moved his hands down her sides, resting them on her hips pulling her down against him so he could bring himself deeper inside of her. His lips travelled up along her jawline and down her neck. He licked and sucked the scarred skin on her neck for a moment, hoping he wouldn't mar her neck up any more than it now was. Without further thought, he bit down on her.

Bulma cried out, as he bit her, squeezing her eyes shut. To her amazement, the pain subsided quickly and was replaced by an overwhelming abundance of thoughts and emotions. She felt everything from him then. She had picked up the odd thought and emotion from him since they had started this, but now it was amplified. She felt his relief and joy that she wanted to accept the bond again. She saw images of herself. Things they had done together. Things she did not remember, but somehow still felt vaguely familiar to her.

He showed her the night they first met. How she had caught his attention on stage nearly immediately. How beautiful he'd thought she was, how impressed with her he had been once he'd actually met her and learned a little bit about her. He showed her how he saw her. He shared with her the all the reasons he saw her as worthy to be his mate. How he valued her opinions and inner strength. Her compassion and her intelligence. _**There is no one else but you,**_ He said to her. _**You are my mate.**_

She felt nearly overwhelmed from what she felt from him. _**What is your favorite memory of us?**_ She asked, hoping that if he showed her another flashback, maybe everything would start coming back to her. As much as she was convinced she was in love with this man, she still desperately wanted to remember their past.

He thought for a moment. _**I have a few.**_ He said back to her. He brought her back down towards the mattress so that he was on top of her again, slowing down their now frantic pace. He really wanted to take his time rebuilding this now that she was open to it.

" _ **Prince Vegeta, I, Bulma Briefs promise to always be here for you no matter what the occasion or the reason. I will support you in any way I can. I accept you wholly, completely and unconditionally for who you are no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at us. I will always be your mate, your friend and your lover for all time until death claims us both. I love you." She said and kissed him.**_

 _**Wow.** _ _**He thought to himself suddenly regretting his decision to exchange vows. He wasn't any good at revealing feelings of any sort other than anger maybe. Anything he had to say to her would pale in comparison to the declaration that just came from her. "Bulma." He started, taking a breath. Not knowing at all what he was going to say to her.** _

_**"You have my word as Prince of Vegeta-sei that I will always protect you to the best of my ability. I may not always be kind, patient or attentive, but be assured that I will always put your well-being and safety ahead of everything and anything else. I will never leave you and will remain faithful to only you. I'll give you everything I am with the knowledge that it will never be enough and that you deserve much more. I do not know what I did that I found myself lucky enough to have found you but please know that I am yours and always will be until my last breath."** _

_**Bulma smiled at him as she watched him struggle through that. That he even did this spoke volumes. She was truly touched beyond words by his vow to her and she kissed him as soon as he was finished. Accepting everything he had just said to her.** _

_**"Does that suffice, Woman?" he asked with a frown.** _

_**"It does, my Prince and my protector." She said with a smile. She leaned down to kiss him again, which he readily responded. He pulled her tightly to him and kissed her deeply.** _

Bulma gasped as she was hit with that memory along with a few others. She felt his emotions and thoughts behind them all, but still did not feel any recognition of any of it. All she could feel was his emotions and thoughts on these events and memories.

He picked up on her despair at not remembering these things that were obviously important. _**It will come,**_ he said to her as he began moving quickly against her again. He could feel his release beginning to build up and did not know how much longer he could last.

_**What if it doesn't?** _

_**Then it doesn't. We can start again.**_ He replied. _**All that matters is that we are bonded again.**_

Within moments after that, she sobbed as she came; wrapping her arms tightly around him, as she convulsed almost violently against him, bringing him to his own climax. He growled deeply as he allowed it to take hold of all his senses. He thrust into her deeply one more time as he released himself completely inside of her, tensing up as the waves of pleasure washed through him. Thoughts of everything and anything else lost to him at the moment. He stilled inside of her for a moment before he withdrew, pulling her into his arms, holding her close as they both lay there together feeling completely sated and satisfied. It didn't take long for sleep to claim them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *AN Fun Fact: There is no planet called Tonga. BUT there is a Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian sovereign state located near Fiji. It comprises of 176 islands with a surface area of about 750 square kilometers scattered over 700,000 square kilometers of the southern Pacific Ocean. Fifty-two of these islands are inhabited with its 103,000 people.
> 
> Lengthwise, the kingdom stretches over a distance of about 800 kilometers in a north-south line located about a third of the distance from New Zealand to Hawaii. It is surrounded by Fiji and Wallis and Futuna (France).
> 
> Tonga is one of the few countries in the world that have successfully resisted European colonization, and the Polynesian kingdom has never lost its sovereignty to a foreign power. Tonga is the only Kingdom in the South Pacific.
> 
> Tonga has a tropical climate with only two seasons, wet and dry, with most rain falling between February and April. The tropical cyclone season currently runs from 1 November – 30 April, though tropical cyclones can form and affect Tonga, outside of the season.
> 
> My Boss says that you can rent one of the tiny islands of Tonga for $1500 USD a year for 90 a year term and have a luxurious home built for as little as $40K USD. That's his retirement plan. He was telling me all about this a few weeks back and I thought "Huh that may work for this story…" Up until a few weeks ago, I hadn't even heard of Tonga. I know of Fiji. But not Tonga. How cool is that?! I wish I had more money! Lol!
> 
> All Information provided courtesy of Wikipedia.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Here it is! The last and final chapter. Here's where it all comes together. I hope you enjoy it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, THANK YOU Dragonbabezee for beta-ing this chapter for me!
> 
> Umm. That's about it. A mild warning for adult content, but nothing too crazy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**CHAPTER 36** _

Bulma awoke with a slight start. Her breathing was labored and she felt wet all over from perspiration. She'd had a horrible dream; she'd dreamt that when she and Yamcha had landed on Frieza's ship, they had taken her and had erased Vegeta from her memory. What they couldn't erase, they'd twisted into horrible facts. She hadn't believed it. She had fought it and knew they were lying to her about her husband; however something had happened during the process and when she'd woken up, she had believed everything they had told her. She had woken up and not long after, Vegeta had shown up to rescue her and she hadn't wanted anything to do to him. She had even helped Frieza lock him down in order to keep him there to do his bidding. She had said the unkindest things to him and had accused him the most terrible things. The memory of it made her eyes water that her mind could dream up her saying such horrible things to him.

Her dream went on and Vegeta had defeated Frieza in an epic battle. He had even tried to keep her safe and out of it despite her acting like a complete bitch to him. She had wanted to leave him and find someplace to live where he could not find her to raise their child all on her own, not wanting his violent influence being passed on. After all that, he had made it onto the same ship she'd been on with her parents and Yamcha. How the hell would Yamcha have made it there? And why would she have even allowed that? God help him if she ever saw him again!

On the ship things had been up and down like a rollercoaster between her and Vegeta the whole way home. She had pushed him so far he had even threatened to leave and then for some reason he had come back to her a few days later and they had left together to fix things between them. And they _had_.

She shook her head; what a stupid dream! And it had felt so real! Her breath hitched as she thought back on it and how mean she had been to him. What was she going to do? Was Vegeta still on his way to come and get her? She hoped he was ready and that he could defeat Frieza as easily as he had in her dream.

She gasped as she felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her center, pulling her towards a very familiar-feeling chest.

"More nightmares?" he murmured into her ear.

She frowned and nodded. How could he be here? She wondered. She turned around in his arms to face him and looked at him, wide-eyed in shock. "How can you be here?" she asked in a cloud of confusion.

Vegeta opened one of his eyes, his face was still neutral from sleep. "How do you mean, Woman? I have not left your side." He said groggily.

"No, you shouldn't be here." She said to him, shaking her head. "It's a trick. It's all a trick they're playing on me," she said quickly, her voice cracking as she began to panic.

"What? What trick? Who is "They" Woman? No one else is here except for you and me." He replied, frowning at her, fearing that she had reverted back to how she had been before when he had found her on Frieza's ship. He could sense her confusion and hoped that he would not have to go through everything with her all over again.

"Then where are we?" she asked after a moment, looking warily at him. "Is this Frieza's ship?"

"No!" he sighed in irritation. "Frieza is dead. By my hand. We have been off Frieza's ship for four weeks now. You and I are on vacation you could say. In due time, I will be taking you someplace to safely birth the child."

Bulma sat up and thought long and hard for a moment. Reality beginning to sink in now that she was feeling fully awake. She looked down at him, her eyes wide. "Vegeta," she whispered hoarsely as she was hit with a sudden realization.

"Hmmn?" he mumbled, beginning to feel annoyed. She was acting like a space cadet.

"Vegeta, I-"

"What?"

"I remember."

"Remember what, Woman?"

"Everything."

He then sat up to meet her at eye level. He couldn't dare hope that her memory had fully returned, could he? "You remember everything that happened?"

"Yes! I remember! I remember you. I remember how we met, how we got together. I remember everything!" she exclaimed, trying to hold back a flood gate of emotions. "I love you!" she cried as she threw her arms around him.

"How?" he asked almost dumbly.

"I don't know, but I remember it all." She answered, kissing him frantically all over; his face, his neck, his jaw. Everywhere.

He responded immediately, returning her kisses just as frantically, not questioning how or why she remembered everything. It didn't matter. He pushed her back down on the bed carefully as he kissed her deeply. Without warning, he entered her, thrusting himself into her heat.

Bulma cried out at the sudden penetration, but welcomed him, needing him as close to her as physically possible. She needed to feel him and his presence through every inch of her. "Make love to me," she moaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he moved deeply inside of her.

No other words were spoken or thoughts dwelled upon between them as they both moved against one another almost frantically; striving for completion, giving in and taking everything from each other. Neither one of them holding back, both grateful to have the other and to be fully reunited again.

Vegeta could hardly believe what had happened. He couldn't express how thrilled and relieved he was at this very moment. He had fully accepted that she would never remember everything. That their history together would be forever lost to her. That she had remembered made things even better than he could even imagine. Better than he had even dared hope for. He had been prepared to start completely over. He buried his face in the side of her neck, licking and nipping her, taking in her scent as he fought back the waves of emotions that were surfacing and were beginning to take hold of him as he thrust into her.

 _ **I love you,**_ he said to her through the bond. _**If I never tell you again, remember that I said it here and now. I love you.**_

 _ **I love you too!**_ She thought back, trying to hold back her own emotions. She felt everything from him; the relief, happiness, acceptance, complete adoration; all of it. It was nearly overwhelming and she clung to him as though she were drowning.

Here he had told her he loved her. He had said it to her three times in a 12hour span. She felt spoiled almost. But so happy that he had finally said it to her! She loved him with every fiber of her being and knew he felt the same. She would cherish this moment, knowing that the likelihood of him telling her those words on a regular basis was slim to none, but not caring. That he had said it at all meant the world to her and she knew he meant it.

Vegeta kept his face buried in her neck, trying so hard to hold back the intensity of emotions threatening to take him over at this moment. He clenched his teeth as he tried to concentrate on her scent and the feel of her body moving against his.

Bulma screamed his name as she came; squeezing him with her arms and legs, trying to keep him close to her, shuddering against him in the aftermath of her climax.

"I love you, Vegeta." She sighed, as she felt him come inside her.

"Bulma," he gasped as he filled her completely, thrusting deeply into her one last time before he collapsed on top of her, burying his face in the crook of her neck, unable to look at her in this moment he was so overcome.

Bulma soothingly ran her fingers through his hair and tightened her other arm around him as she felt his breath hitch against the skin on her neck. She swallowed the huge lump in her throat that was trying desperately to surface as she held him close and felt a wetness on her neck. She didn't say anything to him. She just held him, giving him a moment to purge his emotions; knowing that to say anything or even acknowledg this rare display would shame him.

His emotional outburst was over as quickly as it had hit him and he was able to swallow it and pull himself together within a few short moments. He sighed deeply and kissed the side of her neck gently where he had bitten her again last night before looking down at her intensely.

She smiled up at him and slid her hands down from his hair and placed them on the sides of his face, her thumbs wiping away the slight dampness that remained, erasing any evidence that it had even happened. She said nothing and pulled his face down towards her kissing him chastely.

He finally withdrew from her and pulled her into his arms, bringing her close to him. She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso almost as if she feared having him ripped from her.

After a long while of silence between them, she began to cry. "I'm sorry, Vegeta," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I tried to fight it and block them out. Oh, Vegeta I tried. I failed you,"

"You did not fail me," he said gently. "There was nothing you could have done."

She shook her head. "All of the terrible, horrible things I said to you! I can't believe I would think that of you! No matter what I had been told!"

"It is fine. You were not yourself," he said. "Some of the things you did say were true and needed to be said. I never realized how much a lot of my actions hurt you until this."

"I should never have said those things. I almost left! Walked out on you. And after that I pushed you away. I almost lost you."

"There is no need to discuss this, Woman." He sighed. "We've both made mistakes. What has been done cannot be undone and does not matter. What matters is now. Here. Together. And everything we do from this point on wards. Our child. Your safety. That is what matters. You came back to me. That is all I care about."

Bulma nodded, "I told you a long time ago that if worst came to worst, I would."

"You did." He agreed as she rested her cheek on his chest still holding him tight. Her breathing calmed as he brought one arm around her and laced his fingers with the hand that she rested on his waist. She had nearly dozed off when his hand on her other arm holding her close, lazily moved upwards to her back, tracing small circles soothingly on her skin. She smiled lightly against his chest as she relaxed against him, she felt safe once again, marveling at how gentle he always was with her. Those strong hands of his always had a way of calming her and making her feel safe. There wasn't anywhere in this universe she would ever want to be aside from where she was right now, with him.

She had been so sure when she had been confined to Gero's lab that she would never see him again. They had convinced her that he would never be strong enough to be able to defeat Frieza. She had wanted so bad to be able to reach out to him through the bond and warn him against coming after her. That it was not worth him destroying himself just for her, but she had been so drugged and so worn down mentally and emotionally that she hadn't been able to.

"I would not have listened anyway," he said to her, obviously listening in on her thoughts.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I couldn't reach you," she said. "You were strong enough."

"Such little faith" he scoffed.

"It wasn't that I had no faith," she objected. "I just didn't want you walking into something that you couldn't have handled. Then where would we be?"

"I would have bided my time," He answered. "I would not have allowed Frieza to contain me there for long."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For getting me the hell out of there and putting up with my bitchiness," she sighed.

"Well, I was not about to leave you there. I would have still thrown you over my shoulder kicking and screaming if need be if that's what it would have taken."

"Uh huh? But you threatened to leave after."

"I would not have been gone long," he answered stiffly. "And I would have returned in time for you to birth the brat."

"Really?" she asked.

"Hmmn," he grunted.

"Why didn't you just hold me down and bite me?" she asked. "I mean instead of putting yourself through that. I can't believe how horrible I was to you."

"Oh, believe me, Woman, the thought did cross my mind more than a few times," he scoffed.

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because if it had not worked, the state of mind you were in had me worried that you would still reject the bond. It would have made things worse. And then you would have seen me as just as bad as what they had told you I was," he admitted. "In the end, I decided the better option was to wait it out, which wasn't a great idea either, since I ended up hurting you anyway."

"No, I understand," she said. "Thank you for bearing with me."

They were silent for a very long time as they simply held one another. Dozing off and on and indulging every few minutes in kisses and touching each other as though it were still just sinking in now that things were finally coming together. The bond at this point good enough that they did not need to speak or think, they just basked in the other's contentment. Everything was well again, back to the way it should be between them.

Bulma snuggled herself tightly into his hard form again as his tail involuntarily brushed her thigh. She smiled to herself. His tail; she loved his tail. It always gave away his carefully concealed emotions when she couldn't otherwise read him. It would sway lazily back and forth in a graceful "S" motion when he was amused. When he was deep in thought just the tip would twitch back and forth. Or how the hairs fanned out in every which way when he was agitated and it would lash this way and that almost violently.

She reached for it, gently caressing it with the utmost care. Her features clouded over as she remembered the horrible things Frieza had told her. "How could anyone do that?" she said aloud, more to herself than to him. Frieza had gloated to her about breaking the bones in Vegeta's tail. The thought of anyone doing such a thing brought tears to her eyes as she stroked it gently.

His tail retracted from her hand, sliding through her fingers before she let it go and watched him wrap it protectively around his waist again. "Don't," he all but pleaded. "I will not discuss it."

"But Vegeta,"

"No."

"Alright," she sighed. "I don't need you freaking out on me again."

He looked at her long and hard. "Why must you bring this up? Why do you feel the need to discuss this? I don't."

"Because it's a horrible thing that happened to you," she answered, shifting her weight so she could look up at him. "And it's something that at some point you will need to address and properly deal with. You can't keep something like that buried down to yourself. I understand your desire to not want to go into it, but you can talk to me about it. It will never go anywhere, I will never speak of it to anyone if that is what you are so afraid of."

He didn't say anything for a long time, she couldn't even pick up on anything other than feelings of disgust and shame through their bond. "We don't have to discuss it now or today, but at some point, you need to. I'll be here." She said.

"Why would you even want to know?" he asked her.

"It's not that I want to know," she said. "This is something that you can't deal with on your own. Yes, I know you've lived with it a long time, and that it hasn't messed you up and made you into a monster like him speaks volumes about your character.

"On my planet, from what I know, sometimes people who were abused in such a manner were often abused by someone they knew and trusted-"

"I never trusted or looked up to Frieza," he spat.

"Alright, but he was still an authority figure, someone that was in a position of power and respect. Your father entrusted him with your care and he mistreated you and took advantage of you in any way he could." She said.

"My father has no knowledge of anything that went on," he said quietly. "No one does. Just you. And it shall remain that way. Should I decide to speak of it to you, it will be to only you and you will not discuss it with anyone else."

"I would never," she answered, shaking her head, watching him struggle with this. It was heartbreaking to her to see him so disturbed. The Vegeta she knew wasn't bothered or afraid of anything or anyone, but the mere mention of this visibly shattered his sense of self confidence, and she hated that someone would have done something that bad to him to affect him so strongly now, years later. She decided to let the matter drop for now and reached her arm across him and stroked his tail, which was wrapped tightly around his waist again.

Last night she had addressed all of his scars and wounds, one by one; and he had been open with her and had given her an account of them all. This was the only one she hadn't addressed. She wanted him to know that even though she was aware of it, that it did not frighten her away from him. She did not see him as weak or any less of a man because of it.

_**It does not disgust you?** _

_**No,**_ she replied. _**It sickens me to think that anyone would do such a thing and that had you not come for me or have been able to defeat him that our son may have suffered the same thing being raised by him. That is what disgusts me.**_

Neither of them said anything for a long time. He let her stroke his tail for a little while before letting it go and bringing it around her waist. She smiled down at it as she caressed it and leaned down and kissed just the tip as she had last night with every other trauma that had been written all over his body.

He could feel himself beginning to grow hard with desire again for her.

She smiled as she saw the evidence of his need. "Sorry, I did not mean to get you hot and bothered."

"I am far from bothered," he said with a mischievous glint.

"Good," she said lightly. "I would never deliberately take advantage of you." She did not want him to feel that she was using what she knew as a way to take advantage of him to get her way, though she knew at this moment he truly didn't mind.

"I know you wouldn't," he said before his face went serious again.

"What's wrong?"

"I should not have just taken you earlier." He said, looking at her with an expression that told her he was worried he had done something he should not have.

She shrugged. "I didn't mind."

"I did not hurt you?"

"No," she said giving him an odd look. "I wanted and needed you just as badly. You didn't do anything wrong."

"All the same, I should have asked instead of just doing."

She snickered at him. Oh, how she loved this man! He could be such an arrogant jerk when he wanted to be but he was also the sweetest most considerate man she had ever met. She sat up and straddled him, his tail still in her hands, running it through her hands ever so carefully. She leaned over him and kissed him chastely. His hands automatically went to her hips, steadying her. "Well, as means of payback, I believe you are just going to have to lay back and deal with the consequences of doing such a thing," she said as she took his hands off her hips and placed them above his head.

"Then do your worst, Woman," he replied with a smirk.

"Stay," she said, pointing at his hands that were now above his head while looking at him seriously. She took his tail again and began to stoke it slowly. She smiled as he growled at her in his need. She then positioned herself above his now very erect member, sliding herself down onto him agonizingly slow. They both moaned at the feeling. She let his tail go as she began to move over him and he wrapped it firmly around her waist.

Within moments, they were both lost in one another once again. It would seem that neither one of them could ever get enough of the other. They spent the rest of the afternoon in bed together; both exhausted and spent, but happier than they could ever remember feeling in a long time. Things were finally perfect in this moment. They both knew that there were other trials and issues to face. The birth of their son, their reception once they returned to Vegeta-sei. They both still had to face his father and though it was something they were both dreading for different reasons, they decided to just take these next few weeks for themselves and worry about these things as they happened.

For the first time in their union, they were completely alone; could give into one another freely, without restraint or worry about anyone else or anything going wrong. They had experienced enough hardship and heartbreak to last a life time and these next few months before they were to become parents they would make it up to each other. Who knew how long this period of bliss would really last?

_**Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything, but I won't give you up. I won't let you down. And I won't, leave you falling. But the moment never comes…** _


	37. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok! This is more of a teaser chapter than an epilogue… I'm just wetting your appetite for a few of the things yet to come. The next story will pick up shortly after the events depicted here. I know a lot of you have been asking me for a while what's going on with the King and Asia back on Vegeta-sei? Well, here it is! It won't answer all your questions, but it will answer a few of them and give you an idea of what's going to happen next!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**Epilogue** _

Vegeta smiled down at his sleeping mate. She had done it. She had successfully birthed his heir a little over a week ago now. It hadn't been without its moments of difficulty. She had hemorrhaged badly and the blood loss was almost critical to her health. Thankfully he'd had the foresight to bring her to a planet that would be able to help her. He had been very pleased with them and the care they had given her. He had not left her side.

He had been so afraid for her safety; he had been so angry with himself for allowing such a thing to happen and he was angry with her for refusing to listen to him at the beginning of all this. However, to his amazement, she had made it through. Never had he felt as proud of her as he had in those grueling moments that she had gone through to give him his son. He had felt completely helpless, unable to help her, unable to contribute to anything that was going on except to be an encouraging presence by her side as she struggled. His seemingly weak mate had given him a strong, healthy son. He was so proud of her and the moment she was finished and the child breathed his first breaths, he had been so awe struck and moved that he had all but forgotten his anger. Though once things had settled down, he had told her on no uncertain terms was she to conceive another child ever again. He would not put her through that again and he most certainly did not want to be put through it again either.

The boy was a decent size, healthy and without defect. He had lavender hair much to Vegeta's amazement. Not that it was a defect, but it had thrown him when he had first seen his son's lavender hair. Now, almost a week later, it had grown on him and he wouldn't change it for anything. The boy also had his mother's piercing blue eyes, but had inherited his father's sterns scowl, slightly tanned skin and a tail. At least the tail was brown. A true, normal Saiyan tail. It was the only part of him that confirmed that part of his paternity.

Vegeta left his mate now. She would be asleep for another few hours and then they would leave. They had cleared her and said she could leave in the morning. They were heading back to Callisto to visit her parents and show them their grandchild. They would also get to meet Kakarott's brat. He would have been born by now. Vegeta was eager to know how that had went and if the child was strong as well? His father was unusually strong for a third class warrior, there was no reason to believe that his son would not have inherited that as well. He was just interested in knowing how these two half-Saiyan brats would develop. It was going to be interesting.

Vegeta headed back to his ship and sat at the front seat. He sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. The time had finally come. He was dreading it. Bulma had been on his case nearly non-stop since they had arrived on the planet Tonga that he contact his father, if for no other reason to notify him that he was alright, alive and well. They had fought and argued about it constantly. He did not want his father knowing that she was alright and that they were together and expecting a child. Not that he was ashamed. He feared that his father would send out soldiers to seek them out and assassinate her. He could easily defend her from anyone if he met up with them head on, but he feared that if they found them and they were in a ship in the middle of the galaxy, they could easily shoot them down. How could he protect her from that? He couldn't. If he was going down because of his choice to be with her, he would go down honorably in traditional combat protecting his family with his last breath; not being shot down like a defenseless dog.

Bulma had worked on a gadget for the communication device on the ship. It cancelled the ship's signal, making it untraceable if he decided to contact his father; or so she claimed. He trusted her brilliant mind, but was still afraid there may be some way for them to be found.

After staring at the device for a long moment, he decided to make the damned call already. Warn his father that he was coming and that his time to rule was limited. He punched in the coordinates and sent the call. The video monitor popped up and seconds later a Saiyan showed up on the screen.

"This is Prince Vegeta," he said to the young Saiyan. "I wish to speak with my father. If he is busy, let him know I must speak with him immediately."

"Yes, your highness," the youth stammered. "It is good to see you." He added quickly with a small smile before putting the call on hold; a blank screen staring back at him.

Vegeta crossed his arms and huffed in irritation as he sat there, on hold for several minutes. He knew this would be a complete waste of his time. He did not wish to see or hear from his father, despite his need to gloat over Frieza's demise. Other than that, he had nothing to say to the man. He had never been particularly close to him and after being sent away to Frieza that had destroyed any relationship they may have been able to build. Then his part in trying to eliminate Bulma and sending him back to serve under Frieza had been the final straw for Vegeta. The man had no respect for him. He treated him as a child that could not make his own decisions and an inconvenience to be pawned off to someone else.

The hatred he had built up for his father had only intensified in the past week he himself had become a father. He could not understand giving up your one and only son over to a known mad man to raise and shape. It had been well known what a twisted and demented individual Frieza was for many years. His father would have known what he was sending his son to. Maybe not the specifics, but he would have known. His repeated plea that he was clueless to Frieza's true intentions a lie, and if it wasn't, to plead ignorance was just as bad in Vegeta's mind. Once his father had suspected that he had been wrong in sending him to train under Frieza, he should have done what he could to get him out of there. Not look the other way and pretend that nothing was wrong. And especially not send him back years later!

Vegeta could not understand, and he never would. He had told himself over and over again that it was because he was not a father. That was why he could not understand his father's point of view. However over the past week that he had become a father, it had been plaguing him. He still did not understand. The brat was only a little over a week old and he knew he would do whatever he could to shelter him from anything evil and vile; he would protect him with his last breath if it came down to that. His pride would not allow him to do anything else. That was his son. The first good thing he had ever done in his life. He would not allow anyone with less than good intentions even near him or his mate.

As the minutes ticked by and the more agitated he became, he began to second guess his decision in even calling the man. Would he be simply endangering his family by letting him know that he was alive and well and had a family of his own? Even if he did not tell him now that he had a family, his father would send out spies all over the galaxy to gather as much information as he could on him and where he had been all this time. He would find out eventually anyway, if he didn't know already.

No, Vegeta decided to tell him. He would hear about it from him and only him. He was not ashamed of his choice in mate and he was not ashamed of his son either. Bulma had earned the right to stand by his side and be called his mate. He was proud of her.

"It's nice of you to finally decide to contact me. I was beginning to think you had done something stupid that had led to your demise." His father said, finally appearing on the screen. "What do you want, boy?"

Vegeta clenched his teeth. He hated when his father called him _Boy_. He hadn't been a boy for many years. "To let you know that I will be returning soon."

"With or without that blue-haired wench?" his father replied dryly, at which Vegeta frowned. "Yes, I already know, son. Did you think I would not have sent scouts out looking for you after not hearing neither word no sound from you all this time? I know she somehow miraculously survived that blast that day. What a pity to have tied yourself down to her. I obviously taught you nothing over the years. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Selling yourself out to a mere bed slave. Your ancestors are probably rolling around in their graves over that one. You disgrace and spit all over your heritage by acting out and behaving in such a manner.

"Son, you are nothing more than a laughing stock over here! You were once so promising. You were the legendary reborn and you throw your legacy away for want of a worthless slave?" his father lectured.

Vegeta smirked at his father, ignoring his angry tirade and cruel remarks. So he had not heard everything. "You are right, father," He nodded. "I did spit all over my people and heritage for want of a seemingly worthless slave in everyone else's eyes. However, you were also right that I am the legendary reborn. I have not thrown my legacy away; not entirely. Behold." He said, getting up and taking a few steps back and then phased into all his Super Saiyan glory.

Vegeta sat back down and smiled at his father's dumbstruck face. "You see, I have fulfilled my destiny. I am the strongest warrior in the galaxy now that Frieza is dead by my hand."

"My son, how did you-?"

"It was not that hard," Vegeta shrugged arrogantly. "And I could not have done it without that so-called worthless slave of mine."

"Vegeta, Son. You must return home, immediately."

"And why now the sudden urgency, father?" he asked with distain.

"King Cold has declared war on Vegeta-sei because of your slaying his son." The king said. "You have no idea what it is you have done by doing that."

"I knew exactly what I was doing. I was ridding the universe of an evil tyrant," Vegeta replied.

"At what cost, Vegeta?" the King yelled.

"At the cost of knowing that another child will never be forced to serve him or be degraded by him, as I was, ever again and at the near cost of my mate." Vegeta said. "I will return, and I will wage war against King Cold if that is what he wishes to do and I will kick his ass, humiliate him and sever his head just as I did to his son."

"He controls half the galaxy, Vegeta," the king sighed. "We cannot overcome those odds. Seeing as you have managed to ascend, we may have a chance, but I need you to return immediately."

"I shall be returning in due time and it will be on my terms. Not yours."

"I see, so it all depends on the bitch, does it?" the king said cruelly. "Once she gives you her permission to return to where you really belong? A piece of advice, Vegeta; leave her behind."

"She has nothing to do with my decision to return or not. In fact it is because of her constant nagging that I am even making this call."

"Further proving my case, my son." The King nodded. "Whom is a slave to whom? Hmm?"

Vegeta glared at his father.

"If you have any care at all for the girl, you will leave her for good and come home," his father sighed. "If you cannot do that, then consider this our last and final conversation. The council, the people and I will not accept an alien queen. If you have produced any offspring with this girl, I recommend you put them both down now. Do it quickly and quietly and return home."

"And if I show up with her?"

"She will be killed." The king said. "I will see to it personally. Have you any idea the uproar that was caused over her the last time? Half the people loved her and the other half were outraged that you would choose her over one of your own. Now that that whole thing has finally blown over and been forgotten, I will not have you bring her back here causing issues all over again.

"You need to use your head, Vegeta. You have betrayed your race, but there is hope for you yet. Come home and make amends, write this off as a foolish lapse in judgement due to your youth. Rid yourself of her for good, grieve on your way back here and move on with your life the way you were meant to. You can have any woman here of your choosing to be your mate. So long as she is Saiyan, I will not question it."

"I have already made my choice." Vegeta replied firmly. "I have a mate. We share a complete bond."

"Well, then you have my utmost sympathies, my son." The King said, disappointment evident in his features. "I tried to spare you of the burden, but as usual, you do not care to listen to my council. Take care." He said and disconnected the call.

Vegeta sat there for a moment, speechless from the conversation. He had not expected it to go well and he most certainly expected that his father would not accept his union with Bulma; but to simply dismiss him like he were nothing more than a bother and failure to him? That angered him more than anything and he didn't know why. He already knew his father considered him a failure. He had stopped trying to gain his approval years ago.

He exited the ship and headed back inside the hospital to where Bulma was. He exhaled in relief when he saw her laying there just as peacefully as she had been when he had left; the fact that his father knew that she lived sent a chill down his spine. He could not afford to have her or his son out of his sight for even a moment. He looked briefly at the sleeping child in the basinet at the end of her bed. He was sleeping soundly as well. Instead of taking his seat in the chair next to the bed, he crawled in next to her, pulling her close into his arms.

"Vegeta?" she murmured sleepily.

"Hmmn."

"Where did you go?" she asked, she could tell he was upset about something.

"Nowhere," he said.

"No, you went somewhere." She corrected. "What's wrong?"

He sighed irritably; sometimes the bond was more trouble than it was worth. "I went to ready the ship to ensure it was ready for tomorrow morning if you must know, nosy woman. Go back to sleep. We leave first thing."

"Oh, okay. Did you call your father?" she asked, snuggling into his side.

"I did." He growled.

"Good. I'm glad." She said with a weak smile, trying to keep her eyes open. She was still so tired. "What happened? What did he say? Was he at least happy to hear from you?"

"Woman, who do you think we are talking about here? Have you forgotten what my father is like?" he replied harshly though he hadn't meant to be. "Never mind, go back to sleep. We will discuss it once we leave."

"Alright," she said with a yawn. "But even if he was mean, deep down I know he's glad to have heard from you. You still did the right thing."

"We'll see," he said, settling in with her. Had he done the right thing? Now that his father knew he was alive and well and was with Bulma all along, would he still just leave him be? Or would he have them hunted down now? If his father had known about him and Bulma all along, why had he not done anything? He was thankful, but wondered. Now had he rocked the boat and just started the beginning of something? He decided that it was to his advantage that his father seemed to not know that he had an heir and was glad he had not mentioned it. That would probably make his father put out a bounty on Bulma if he wasn't doing that already at this very moment.

He felt another wave of anger wash through him at his father's words and wished he had not contacted him at all. He should have just shown up on Vegeta-sei and at the first threat that had been uttered from his mouth he could have blasted him then and there. No one would dare say anything against him or his choice of mate after that.

He was at a loss of what to do now. Should he leave Bulma on Calisto and deal with his father? Or bring her with him like he had originally planned? His father had warned him to not bring her. Would he be endangering her by bringing her with him? Or would it be a mistake leaving her behind where he would not be able to protect her himself should his father send people out to hunt her down in an effort to rid him of her for good? He didn't know what to do. The only thing he knew he had to do was find a way to make sure that his mate and son were safe. Other than that, he didn't know. He just did not know.

_**Vegeta-sei…** _

"Yes, King Cold. I have just spoken with my son and he plans on returning here. I am not sure when, but he will return." King Vegeta said into a computer screen to the large Ice-jin King. Unlike is son, he was a monstrous sight to behold. Where Frieza had been small and compact in appearance, King Cold was huge. King Vegeta scoffed at the similarities in their predicaments. Vegeta was a miniaturized version of himself, much like Frieza was a much smaller version than his father. Both sons had tremendous power and potential and both of them were a thorn in their father's sides.

"Do we have a deal then, King Vegeta?" the other king asked.

"We can make an arrangement, yes. You can have custody of him and are free to deal with him as you see fit in exchange that you leave my planet alone. I have had no dealings with Vegeta since he left with Frieza and it has been nearly a year since I last heard from him. I had no knowledge of his plans to assassinate your son. He acted entirely of his own accord." Vegeta said.

"I see." Cold nodded. "You are sure you are alright with handing over your only son? You do not have another heir am I correct? Just Vegeta?"

"Currently Vegeta is my one and only heir, but not for long. My new mate is heavy with child."

"I see," King Cold nodded. "Such a hardship it is having offspring, is it not? You put all your time and energy bringing them up and have such high hopes for them but in the end, all they do is disappoint."

"It can be a trial, yes." King Vegeta nodded. "I will succeed with this child where I indeed failed with Vegeta."

"Does he still have the Woman?" Cold asked. "My source said he had left with her, though she wanted nothing to do with him. They had turned her against him somehow."

"He did indicate that they were together, yes."

"Excellent. Then I shall have her as well." Cold said. "My source also informed me she was pregnant with his child."

"If such is the case, you may have them both. Do as you please, I do not wish to even know of the abomination." Vegeta said in disgust. "We will have to plan this carefully. If he returns home with her, he will not leave her unguarded."

"Notify me when he arrives, Vegeta. I will make a plan. When I hear from you, I will fill you in and we will proceed. I will send out spies to locate the woman, that way if he does not arrive with her, she can be easily detained and maybe you will not have to worry about handing him over. He will come by his own accord."

"Alright." King Vegeta nodded and King Cold severed the connection.

"I know this is difficult but you are making the right choice, your Highness." Paragus said to the King. "Vegeta has always been nothing but trouble for you. This way you can get him out of the way and avoid losing a war we cannot win and start fresh with a new heir to carry out your legacy and Vegeta-sei will continue to thrive. This is a win/win decision for all of us."

"Yet it does not feel that way," the King sighed. "I must betray my only son."

"You betray a son who has betrayed you and his entire race and planet for want of a slave, your Highness. What kind of king would he make once you are gone? He will run the planet into ruins. Unless he heeds your advice and disposes of the woman, this is the only option."

"I suppose you are right." King Vegeta nodded. "Only time will tell."

Paragus nodded and dismissed himself from the King's study. Finally! After years of plotting and planning, things were finally coming together for him. Years and years of faithful service and careful manipulation was going to finally pay off big!

Both royals of Vegeta-sei were about to be easily eliminated thanks to his cunning and meddling. That it was all coming together now so quickly was almost unbelievable. He had to keep himself from laughing in glee at how things were developing.

Now the blue-haired woman. What was to be done with her? She was the unknown variable in all of this and had to be done away with. He had severely underestimated her. When the prince had first arrived with her in tow he had not seen her as a threat. He had written her off as simply another whore who would soon lose the prince's interest. Who could have predicted that the prince would actually want her? His father had new concubines sent to his quarters on a weekly if not daily basis. He would screw them and dismiss them if he didn't kill them in the midst of bed play. Who would have thought his son would be any different? Paragus had assumed that within a week or a month at the most the prince would have grown bored of the girl and that would have been that.

He had never once considered the possibility that Vegeta would mate with the little bitch. It had been a huge relief when Frieza had executed her that day he had blown the ship. That should have been the end of it. That she had managed to survive and that Vegeta had actually found her and took up with her was beyond surprising and completely unexpected. Paragus wasn't sure what the best course of action with regards to her was. Eliminate her or use her to get to Vegeta? It was a gamble. She was obviously a valuable commodity to him and therefore a huge weakness. Vegeta could be manipulated into doing almost anything if Paragus had her in his custody. And if the rumors about her brilliant mind were true, maybe she could be persuaded to work for them in exchange for her life and Vegeta's. It would be interesting indeed to see how things would unfold in the coming weeks.

Paragus smirked to himself as he headed down the hall to the Royal Wing of the palace where his daughter was most likely resting. She was about eight month's heavy with child, due to give birth in another month or so. The pregnancy had been hard on her and she was now advised to remain on strict bed rest, for any physical activity may put the King's new heir at risk.

He nodded at the two guards stationed outside her door and they let him in. He shook his head at his daughter when he saw her standing outside on the balcony. "Dear, you are to be in bed resting. Have you not heard a word the physicians have told you?"

"I know," Asia sighed in annoyance. "But my back hurts from lying in bed. Standing up and walking over to the balcony to get some air and sun is not going to hurt anything. It's not like I'm going out to spar. I cannot wait to get this child birthed. I never want to do this again."

"It is for the good of the planet." Her father said. "Prince Vegeta contacted his father this morning."

Asia's eyes lit up. "He did? Is he well? Is he returning?"

Paragus nodded. "He is, however he is still bonded to that girl. We suspect she has given him a child as well."

"Oh," she sighed in disappointment. She had so been hoping that Vegeta would return home, destroy his father and then by default take her as his queen since she was already queen. It couldn't be more perfect!

"Do not fear, daughter." Paragus consoled, bringing her a chair from inside so she could sit outside if that was what she wanted to do. "Vegeta will most likely come here without his mate for fear of endangering her and take out his father, thus taking his position as king. That still leaves you as next for him to take as his mate."

"But how can I be that if he has a mate he's bonded to?" Asia asked.

"King Vegeta will send spies out to collect her if Vegeta leaves her to come here. If we have her, we can control him."

"And if Vegeta brings her with him?"

"I do not think he will be stupid enough to do that. The king strongly advised him against doing so. However if he does, we will take her and she will remain in our custody and destroy any child they may have produced. Your son shall be the only heir to the throne." Paragus said. "We will work out the finer details once we know more about Vegeta and his mate's whereabouts. We were unable to trace his current location from where he made the call."

Asia nodded her head in agreement. "We have to do something. I cannot be matted to him for a moment longer, Father. He disgusts me! I want to be with Prince Vegeta."

"And so you shall be, trust me." Paragus replied, leaving out the bit of the plan that involved Vegeta being handed over to King Cold as well. His daughter did not need to know about that part. If Paragus had his own way, he would be placing his other child in place of the King. He was far too old and lacked the required physical strength that was so desired and worshiped by the Saiyan race. Wouldn't King Vegeta be surprised when it was Paragus's oldest son who wiped him out for good.

King Vegeta had demanded that he put his first son down when he was born. The son was born with the highest ki strength that had been ever recorded in history. In fear that this child may surpass his own son one day in an effort of gaining the throne, the King ordered the child to be destroyed. Paragus had agreed to destroy the child but instead sent him away in secret with his mate's mother in the middle of the night to a secluded location that no one had any knowledge about.

King Vegeta had been so stupid and so trusting of Paragus that he had never asked for evidence that it had been done. However, there had been another Saiyan child that had passed a few days prior. Paragus had severed the tail of that deceased child and had handed it over to the king with the claim that it was the tail of his own deceased son.

Now, years later, his son had grown into a strong Saiyan male. Stronger than any male Paragus had ever known. He was strong and intelligent thanks to his mate's mother's teaching him of everything he would need to know about politics and anything he may need to know to become king one day. It was all perfect but for one loose end. Asia.

She would be of no further use to him once she had birthed her child and they were rid of both King and Prince Vegeta. Should the prince actually leave his woman for good and come back he would allow that union for a little while. Asia having an heir would be beneficial in her keeping her place as queen of Veheta-sei. The prince would have no choice but to accept her as his queen and new mate. He would also prove useful in ridding them of the current king.

Then all Paragus would need to do would be to make an agreement with King Cold much like the current King Vegeta had. King Cold could kill him or enslave him. He could do whatever he wished so long as he rid them of Vegeta. Paragus would then orchestrate things in such a way that Vegeta would leave to fight a battle against King Cold he would not win. Then they would be rid of the Vegeta line all together. He would have his long lost son take over the throne. No one would dare question it once they got wind of his incredible strength.

Paragus would find an appropriate Saiyan mate for his son and send Asia away. She could keep her child as consolation but since he was an heir to the Vegeta line, once his son was king, he would have no claim on the throne. Asia could choose to accept it or not. She would be relieved from her duties.

Paragus could not wait for things to unfold! He could not wait to reveal his son whom he was so very proud of! As he smiled in anticipation of things to come it occurred to him: No one had cared to even ask what his son's name had been.

That son's name was Broly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Many thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and/or favorite this story! When I started writing it over a year ago, I had no idea it would get this many readers and such a huge response! I wish I had written it sooner! It was a few years ago that I had first thought up this concept. And I'd think on it while driving to work and yea, I'm not kidding, it took about two or three years for me to feel confident and comfortable enough with this story line and plot to actually sit down and start writing it. I'm glad that I did! I'll even admit, there are a few twists and turns that didn't cross my mind until I was sitting here writing it and I just decided on a whim to go with it at the time instead of what I had originally planned. 
> 
> I haven't started on the next half just yet. I kinda have a draft and different plot points. A few random conversation pieces jotted down, but nothing more concrete than what I just posted above as of yet. I think I am going to take a bit of a break before sitting down and writing it and posting it. I have several reasons for this. First, I didn't sit and start writing Endlessly until I had at least half of it planned in the back of my mind. (Around Chapter 35 to be specific) So it was really easy up until that point to get chapters done quickly. Those of you who have been following this story from the beginning when I first started posting, probably remember that I used to be able to update every week. (Sunday! Ha haa!) I feel terrible for not being able to do that now. Mostly due to my new work schedule. So, until I have a firm plot that I am confident to commit to I will most likely wait.
> 
> Secondly, I want to hold off on posting until I have several chapters completely finished. I hope I have the patience and self-discipline to do so… Honestly, I didn't with this story. I'm usually just as excited to post a new chapter as you readers are to read it. I get anxious and just want to update it because I love getting the feedback. That's the great part! The bad part is sometimes I'll be thinking about that new update like a day or two later and wished I had made them say this or do that. Or I would come up with the most brilliant line after the fact. And then it would bug me for days and days. So, for my own sanity and with hopes of writing an even better story, I will try to do that! Bear with me!
> 
> Anyway, thank you all for reading and reviewing- you all know who you are! If I ever didn't respond to a review, my deepest apologies! I do try to reply to everyone. A HUGE thank you to the wonderful Dragonbabezee for beta-ing and helping me out the last lap of this story. I kinda got overwhelmed with trying to bring everything together nicely. She helped me write that all-epic final fight scene between Vegeta and Frieza. Without her, it would have been so boring! And she beta'd the last two chapters. I appreciate her taking the time to go over my final drafts. Sometimes it's so nice to have a fresh pair of eyes take a look. Especially when you've been over it a thousand times to the point where none of it makes sense anymore. Ha haa! Thank you!
> 
> The next installment will most likely be called…
> 
> *Drum Roll*…
> 
> Butterflies and Hurricanes.
> 
> So, keep your eyes open in a month or so! Thanks so much again for sticking with this story!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! This fiction is also posted in it's entirety under the same name on Fanfiction.net. My pen name there as well is Froglady15. 
> 
> I will be posting the chapters regularly here and am just revising a few mistakes here and there that I have caught since posting this the first time as well as combining a few of the shorter chapters into longer ones. I am hoping to have the whole thing posted on here within a few weeks so be patient! 
> 
> I love reviews and interacting with readers. Feel free to msg me if you have any questions or comments. I do try to reply to each and every one that I do get! Thanks again for reading! I hope you enjoy this story as much as I loved writing it!


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